CIHM 
Microfiche 
Series 
(Monographis) 


ICIUIH 

Collection  de 
microfiches 
(monographies) 


[g| 


Canadian  Inatituta  for  Hlatorical  MIeroraproductlona  /  InatHut  Canadian  da  microraproduetiona  hiatoriquaa 


©1995 


Tadinical  and  BlbliotrapMc  Nam  /  Nom  ttchniquM  «  biMiograptiiqiMi 


TiM  Imtitun  hn  •mmptad  to  obuin  th*  btit  orifinal 
copy  available  for  fihninf.  Faaturas  of  this  copy  whkh 
may  ba  bibHognptiieally  uniqua,  natiidi  may  altar  any 
of  tfw  jmagn  in  tha  raproduetion,  or  which  may 
lifnificantly  chan«a  tha  mual  mathod  of  filming,  ara 
ehaefcad  balow. 


D 

n 
n 


Colourtd  covtri/ 
Couvtrturt  dt  coulMir 

Cowrs  dMnagid/ 
Couvtrtura  mdommagte 

Covtrt  rtstorad  and/or  laminatMl/ 
Couvarturt  mtaurte  at/ou  paUicuMa 


□  Covtr  titia  minina/ 
La  titra  da  couvartura  manqua 


n 
n 
n 

D 


PTl  Tight  binding  may  causa  shadows  or  distortion 


Colourad  mips/ 

Cwtas  gtographiquas  an  coulaur 

Colourad  ink  (i.a.  othar  than  Mua  or  Mack)/ 
Encra  da  coulaur  li.a.  autra  qua  Waua  ou  noira) 

Colourad  platas  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planchas  at/ou  illustrations  an  coulaur 

Bound  with  othar  matarial/ 
RaliQ  avac  d'autras  documanti 


D 


D 


along  intirior  margin/ 

La  raliura  Mrria  paut  causar  da  I'ombrf  ou  da  la 

diitorsion  la  long  da  la  marga  intiriaura 

Blank  laavas  addad  during  rai toration  may  appaar 
within  tha  taxt.  INhananr  po~ibla,  thaia  haw 
baan  omittad  from  filming/ 
II  sa  paut  qua  cartainas  pagas  blarwhas  ajoutte 
lore  d'una  raitauration  apparaittant  dans  la  taxta, 
mail,  loriqua  cala  ttait  pouiUa.  cat  pagat  n'ont 
pas  ktk  filmeas. 


Additional  commants;/ 
Commantairai  lupplimantairas: 


Thii  iiam  is  f  itmad  at  tha  raduction  ratio  diackad  balow/ 

Ca  documant  ast  f  ilmi  au  tau>  da  rUuction  indiwii  ci-dasious. 


L'Inttitut  a  microfilm*  la  maillaur  aaamplaira  qu'il 
lui  a  M  possiMa  da  la  procurar.  Las  details  da  cat 
axamplaira  qui  sunt  paut-«tra  uniquas  du  point  da  vua 
Wbliographiqua,  qui  paunant  modif  iar  una  imaga 
raproduita.  ou  qui  paunnt  axigar  una  modification 
darn  la  mMioda  normala  da  f  ibnaga  lont  indiquts 
ci-dassous. 

□  Colourad  pagas/ 
Pagas  da  coulaur 


D 


Pagas  anojmmigiii 


□  Pagas  raatorad  and/or  laminatad/ 
Pagas  ristaurias  at/ou  pallieultas 

0  Pagas  discolourad,  stainad  or  foxad/ 
Pagas  dicolorias,  tachatias  ou  piquto 

□  Pagas  datachad/ 
Pagas  ditachias 

|~~pShowthrough/ 
I  ^  Transparanca 

□  Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Qualiti  in4gala  da  I'imprassion 

□  Continuous  pagination/ 
I 


0 


I  Pagination  continua 

Includas  indax^as)/ 
Comprand  un  (das)  indax 

TitIa  on  haadar  takan  from:  / 
La  titra  da  I'an-ttfM  proviant: 


□  Titla  paga  of  issua/ 
Paga  da  titra  da  la  livraison 

□  Caption  of  issua/ 
Titrc  da  dipart  da  la  livraison 

□  Masthaad/ 
Ganeriqua  (piriodiquas)  d«  la  livraison 


lOX 

14X 

18X 

22X 

2CX 

»X 

D 

1 

^ 

J       i 

1 

— 

12X 

ISX 

20X 

24  X 

711  > 

^"~^ 

^^ 

15* 

Th*  copy  filmed  h«ra  hn  baan  raproduead  ttianka 
to  tha  ganaroaltv  of: 

Uninnlty  of  Albatti 
Edmonton 

Tha  imagaa  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  baat  quality 
ponibia  conaldaring  tha  condition  and  laglblllty 
of  tha  original  copy  and  In  kaoping  with  tha 
filming  contract  apacif ;  Jitlona. 


Original  copiaa  in  printad  papar  eovai-*  ara  fllmad 
beginning  with  ttM  front  eowar  and  anding  on 
tha  laat  paga  with  a  printad  or  llluatratad  impraa- 
lion,  or  tha  back  covar  whan  appropriate.  All 
othar  original  copiaa  ara  fllmad  beginning  on  the 
firtt  paga  with  a  printad  or  llluatratad  Imprae- 
tlon.  and  anding  on  tha  laat  paga  with  a  printad 
or  llluatratad  Impreaaten. 


Tha  laat  racoHad  frame  on  each  microfiche 
■hall  contain  -.m  symbol  —^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  tha  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Mapa,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  lerge  to  be 
entirely  Included  in  one  exposure  ara  filmed 
beginning  In  the  upper  (eft  hend  comer,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  aa  many  frames  es 
required.  The  following  diagrams  Illustrate  the 
method: 


L'axampiaira  film*  fut  reproduit  grica  t  la 
g4n4roaitt  da: 

Uninnlty  of  Albnta 
Edmonton 

Lea  Imsgea  suhtantea  ont  M  raprodultes  svec  Is 
plus  grand  soin.  compta  tanu  de  le  condition  at 
do  la  nattat*  da  I'exampleire  fllm«,  et  en 
conformity  avac  lea  condltlona  du  contrat  da 
fllmaga. 

Lee  exemplai.-aa  originaux  dont  la  couvarture  an 
papier  est  imprim«e  sent  fllmto  en  eommen^ant 
par  le  premier  plat  at  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
damlAre  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprointe 
d'Impraaaion  ou  d'lliustratlon,  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  le  caa.  Toua  las  autras  axempieirea 
originaux  sent  fllmte  en  commen^ant  par  la 
pramlire  ptge  qui  comporte  une  amprainte 
d'Impraesion  ou  d'liiustratlon  at  an  terminant  par 
la  damlAre  pege  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  dee  svmboies  suivanta  apparaltra  sur  la 
damiire  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  leion  le 
cas:  la  symboie  -^  signifle  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  ▼  signifle  "FIN". 

Lea  cartes,  plenches.  ubieeux.  etc.,  peuvent  ttre 
fiimis  i  dee  tsux  da  rMuctlon  difftrents. 
Loraque  la  document  est  trop  grsnd  pour  ttre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clich4,  il  est  film*  i  pertir 
de  I'engle  sup«rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  i  droite, 
et  de  haut  an  baa,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'Imagee  n4ceaaaire.  Lea  diagrammea  suivanu 
lilustrant  la  mMioda. 


1  2  3 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

"«»OCOfr   >BOlUTION   IBI  CHAIT 

(ANSI  ano  ISO  TEST  CHART  No.  2) 


^      d^PUEDjVMGE      In, 


(716)  288  -  bUi  -Fax 


A  STUDY  OF  THE  THLINGETS 
OF  ALASKA 


-■" 


I: 

n 


r.O\iiKS      WALK  " 


Study   of  the  Thiingets 
of  Alaska 


T.IVINGSTON  F.  JONES 


w 


New  Tom  Cmcioo  Tobohto 

Fleming  H.  Revell  Company 

lOHDOH  AND  EdikbDBQB 


2480n 


Copyright,  1914,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago :  135  N.  Wabash  Ave, 
Toronto  :  25  Richmond  St.,  W. 
London  :  3i  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh :  100  Princes  Street 


PREFACE 

MANY  books  have  been  written  on  Alaska. 
.»-^°T'^*!i'  *•'  ^J'*™  BomethW  has  been 
eonntr^  tS  the  natives,  or  aborigfnes,  of  the 
S^'  i°  *??®  ^^^y  ^'•^  merely  alluded  to, 
while  in  others  they  are  treated  more  or  less  com 
prehensive  y.  Whi:3  some  are  reliable  so  far  as 
they  go,  others  abound  with  errors  and  contain 
statements  about  the  natives  which  are  not  true. 
The  same  may  be  said  about  many  articles  that 
have  appeared  in  various  periodicals. 
It  18  evident  to  those  who  are  intimatelv  an- 

?Z«  I'^f^''  ^^'  P""^^^'  *hat  some  wrTters  Ut 
come  to  their  work  with  little  or  no  preparation 
In  truth,  several  of  the  books  extant  on  Alaska 
as  well  as  scores  of  articles  which  have  appeared 
halln?  r'^^'-.^''^^"  been  written  by  tourisfs  who 
fit»  ''"* '™'t.ed  opportunities  of  studying  the  na- 
tives and  their  customs.  * 

Some  of  the  books,  and  not  a  few  of  the  articles 
were  written  on  "  hurry-up  ••  orders,  and  by  per- 

th»'Z^  ^"^  """'"'y  Sf'"""*^  «t  the  .lountry'^from 
the  deck  of  L  passing  steamer.  Hearsay  and  idS 
rumour  furnished  much  of  their  contends  Some 
of  them  con  am  fake  stories.  Had  their  autCs 
been  more  intent  on  publishing  facts  than  on 
breaking  into  print  such  stories  would  never  have 
been  set  up  m  cold  type.  A  novelist  may  have 
IZu  'n'lf/ ♦  I?  ""?*'"»  ^''*'°°'  but  he  who  pur! 


ir-r   ■'  i 


if)  '■        ' 


►WR* 


6  PREFACE 

While  there  are  several  reliable  works  on 
Alaska  in  which  much  may  be  found  concerning 
the  lives  of  the  aborigines,  yet  even  more  of  inter- 
est has  been  left  unsaid.  For  this  reason  the 
author  feels  his  effort  justified  in  order  to  give 
fuller  and  more  accurate  information  to  the  pubUo 
concerning  these  interesting  people. 

Again,  while  this  work  treats  almost  exclusively 
of  the  Thlingets  of  Alaska,  yet  what  is  said  of 
them  largely  applies  to  the  other  classes. 

The  information  imparted  to  the  public  in  the 
following  pages  has  been  gleaned  by  the  writer 
almost  entirely  from  the  natives  themselves,  either 
through  their  lips  or  by  his  own  personal  observa- 
tion. Having  lived  and  laboured  among  them  for 
more  than  twenty  years,  he  has  had  exceptional 
opportunities  of  studying  their  customs  and  char- 
acteristics. He  has  read  the  books  and  articles 
appearing  in  periodicals  relating  to  the  natives, 
(Few  exist  that  he  has  not  read.)  These  were 
consulted  not  so  much  for  information— he  pre- 
ferred to  get  that  at  first  hand— as  to  see  what  I 
others  had  to  say  about  the  Alaskan  and  wherein 
they  confirmed  his  own  findings  or  differed  with 
nun. 

It  has  proved  to  the  author  a  most  fascinating 
study,  and  while  necessarily  there  has  been  some 
drudgery  connected  with  the  preparation  of  the 
work,  on  the  whole  it  has  been  one  of  extreme 
pleasure.  It  is  now  offered  to  the  public  in  the 
full  consciousness  that  long  and  painstaking  care 
has  been  given  to  its  preparation,  and  if  while  I 
not  free  from  imperfections  such  errors  are  not! 
there  through  slight. 

L.  F.  J. 


CONTENTS 


I    INTEODUCTORY 

jpe  ago  --  Channel/- mTu^S"'  ^^-J'"'' -Arch! 
mate  —  Mistaken  IdeM™  r^!  T  ""'""ce  —  cii- 
Kuro-Siwo  Current -Ve.^t'n'"^  Diversified - 
qmrementa  to  Obtain  S-fed^iiawS"*'"^ 


17 


II.    ABOBIGINES  OF  ALASKA 


23 


HI.    OBIGIN  OP  THE  ALASKANS 


l^-vou,  0,  the  Mon^ia„^S'^??-4'«un'ents^i„ 
0*  Opinion -The  Author's  p„7,~ ^*  Consensu, 
ments  in  Support  of  th«  w  Position- His   Arm. 

.nd  Is,ande.?l"5io^'=urh^?rz>e^lX"  ^'''^«"' 


27 


THE  THLINGET  L^GUAGE 


ttbS"o'SKo7°'',S''"  ?'"™  Orally  from 
Word-huildin«-S^„7na*'l"Crr^:S£ 


35 


(?M: 


!M    ■■ 


Imrs" 


V. 


VI. 


VII. 


CONTENTS 

Chinook  — Pmptt  Name*  —  Father.  ChanuiiiB  Name 
Jfin^T^^L"'  First  Child -Names  BefongTg  to  S-- 
tein  Tribes -Extent  of  the  Thlinget  Vocabulary- 
^J^j;""  *»■»  Cpnerete  Terms  -  piculiarities  of  the 
Language— Deficiency  of  the  Language  Illustrated— 
Peculiarity  of  the  Language  Whe^  J^ten  -  Gram- 

rf  4^^LSL'''"'n,;''°  "J"*"  -  °"'^"  -  Structure 
of  Sentences  — Observation  of  the  Author  us  to  the 
Desirability  of  English  over  Thlinget 

THE  FAMILY ^ 

Relation  of  Husband  and  Wife  — Of  Childran  in 
Parents -Treatment  of  Nephewo  and  N «»  by 
rhnn^^n""''  ^r^."-?*  Fondness  of  Parents  foV 
Children  -  Illegitimates  -  Childbirth  -  Treatment 
o  ^mZJ^^vI^  Children  -  Parental  Indulgence 
of  Children- Polyandry- Domestic  Life  — Cook- 
ing-Roving -Dogs -Washing  and  Sewing  — 
Gossiping -Quarrels -Status  of  Wife -No  sfrr- 
ants -Exceptions  to  Poor  Housekeepers -Draw- 
backs to  be  Remembered. 

THE  COMMUNITY 53 

Communitrea  Independent-The  Only  Bond-Where 
Built--Advantages  —  Constniction  — Status  of  Na- 

-nTcZil'^^"""Tl*'  *">" - SummTcamps 

—  ITie  Composition  of  Each  Community  —  Public 
Utilities -^anitary  Conditions  — The  More  Pr^ 
gessive  Natives  -  Social  Life  -  Strata  of  ThIinKt 
Society  -  Casto  _  The  Chief  -  Change  Communities 
;^d  Nativ^.""*'.  Undergoing- MirtSre  of   ^iiL 

PERSONAL  APPEARANCE,  DRESS  AND 
ORNAMENTATION      .       .       .       .       .64 

^^'?Z^l  fPPS>™nce- Dress -Public  Appearance 

—  Dress    in    Earlier   Times  — Female    Headgear- 

oJSiTK""*"  "r'  J-'y-G-XKl  Taste  AcquS- 
Ornamentation  —  Jewellery  —  The  Labret  —  Bv 
Whom  Worn -Tattooing -Face  Painting -Dr^I 
°  sS^i""',";;^''^*'""'  C»"i«g=- Facial  L<«k8 
-Standard  of  Beauty -Affiliation  with  Whites. 


Vni.    INDUSTRIES 


CONTENTS 


-Work  in  CmiiS~f„^''  °'  Catching  Figh 
Hunting  MdTraS^pE"^""^"'  '"  Mines- 
ing  in  W«d  anddr  Th  '"n?  Supplies  -  Carv 
to?  Women-Chi^at  Bli;;?  t  T™''^' -  Industries 
War-canoes  -  Cain^™?  ^^'^  ~  Canoe-building  — 
ties  -  Cap  tali?ts  1  The  "*lj;H^r'""T'  '^'"V- 
Drawback's  to  Conunerll^^t  "*    E""*'?"*- 


9 

72 


K.    BASKETBT 


SeTa!?eS'e''S-,r:!:V,»t,^,t^  '^"'"^  ^ 

Materials  U^'dtn^  st p/fLX^hta^trW  ^^™' 

Mother-of  Baskets -r^lT,^"""'''  '"  Cooking- 
Splitting  Fib  « l^S TsT  "^^^r?  ^'«<'«'  '" 
weavers^- Weaving -VeX^BaSs"  "'  ^""'^ 


85 


X.    TSAITS 


ti™-Portitude_l^;;tte,  f^r  Iry"^™""''™- 
tality-Sociability-Fond  ';  K'.f'''*'*T°'"P'- 
«rvant-Fluenc/of  &lG^rSr''-°'^ 


92 


XI.    FOOD 


Liberal  Endowment  of  Food  —  v;=k  «.  t,  .  . 
Food  —  Varieties  —  SBlmnT^  n  i?."'.*''^  Principa 
Pish  for  Ons_^,ik|"Jl°5i-H''''b»t -Herring _ 
Roe  —  Delicaciea—  T    ,Tf  "^."'"g  Spawn  —  Salmon 

fl„.         "o'lcRcies —       id  Animas  —  Fowl «i,oii 

nsh  —  Berries  —  Vcffetahio.       i,  j   —  bhell- 

Man's  Food.  "•'getables  —  Seaweed  —  White 


.103 


imn 


10 


CONTENTS 


XII.    EXTINCT  CUSTOMS ji2 

Customs  Divided  into  Three  C}niuuy» t?!«,*   /m. 

Chief,  Katlian  -  The  Wrfn^innT  sft  J^r 
«cres-Attaclcs   on   Russia^  Justffled- je.'S 

^'Sf-I"'antieide  -'^ffii"  -^  olSg'^f 
Gambling  Pegs  and  Method  of  Playing -The  Cta™ 
Called  Nagon  — Other  Games.  ^ae  uame 


Xm.    WANING  CUSTOMS 


Jds-?h^"^°"~^"*'"-'"'-Marriag«_Meth. 


125 


XIV.    PRESENT-DAY  CUSTOMS 


tions  of  Danccru  — Ti,,..  Ti   ^    ?      2?  '""*  **<>• 
Highly  SpeeSiI^Z^^'"^.^  ^P*  -  f^riormance 


.  135 


XV. 


11 

147 


CONTENTS 
THE  DISPOSITION  OP  THE  DEAD 

XVI.    SHAMANISM  AND  SDPEnSTITIONS       154 

matl."!  Witch -Native  Cor  „,' WUchlr± 
vvnat  the  Accusation  of  Beinir  a.  Wityi.   ii» 

XVII.    TOTEMISM      .... 


.168 


ite!'"3 


u 


CONTENTS 


■XVIII.    LEGENDS 


Concenimg  Madam  Sk^g-w.  "  Kluckwui- 


181 


XIX.    NATIVE  JURISPRUDENCE 


No  Government  —  Jf<-  Trials    nn.,rf.    t  :> 
Offences  Redressed  by  Tr.™-melt  /»"''  '*"— 
Determines  What  r  if.       a     •  j    . '^"^  ^"«  —  Caste 

be  Atoned  tTt  Welfat^l'nt'n^-'  "S"'!."*  «-* 
Initanees  CitecI_T,.T       "'Intentional   Ki    ng— 

mere;c\,'rG7ve'-rZmat"l"l'Fa1r?'=^* 
b'l'ty  to  His  Own  Child —f^f  7  j  «"■"  '  ^'»- 
Becomes  Slave  of  His  ReTeSi  ®"f  '""»  Death 
100  Per  Cent  Interest -S•~:^"  Jf""'  ^''"8 
stances  Cited -Exorbitenfrr  '"  ?i™«-In- 
About  the  Dead -oTho,"  ^"^  '"  Serviceg 
Instances  Cited _ChitfH™BT  ""™  Revived- 

ing  Settlemen?s--Th  ^ts'  Hav^^^"'"'  ^°"™">- 
force  Them  — Thev  Rn™^-  ^™  ^"'  a"*  En- 
ment.  ^  Sometimes  Ge'  Double  Punish- 


193 


XX. 


CONTENTS 

MUSIC  AND  AMUSEMENTS 

-ApVciation  of  HSmo„r  a;L'  "''  Wittici™, 
—  The  PhonoKraoh  at  P^^^I^  T     o."""*    '""drats 

In  Church -Ho^ttep°i*1,"t»  at  Wedding,  _ 
prded -Their  Great  A.w.i,'''?''"**  ^^  Re- 
Negro  Seen  _  Over  Mi„i.h"^°*r",*''''  ^'i"* 
False  Teeth,  etc.  ^''°*"'  ^8-  Wig, 


18 

203 


212 


XXI.    MOBALITT 

Different  Standards  of  Morality —  Th-t  „t  ih,  w 

s"hLr.^vX'iS  ^'^Sh^rSr^^-  °' 
&™rc7h£««-CS™,^- 

^rrdi?-£|^i£?-i"--^^^^ 

XXII.    DISEASES 

SJ^pful  c'n'^r^  I?t™1uction_ Consumption- 
niL.,L.  ^  ,?"f^?  «  R^P"*— Smallpox  — Vv-nereal 

r7l^M™'"°r*='".  "'<*"  ""d  Soroff  u'ro?  Natu* 
"KnhllJr"  Spring? -Steam  Bathing- Paatine- 
of  fh.  V  *~^""'£"8  *•'«  Siclc-Thf  Crying  ifeed 
of  the  Natives -The  Climate  on  Health  F™w 

aire  ffl^e^e^vL"'"'^  ^'"'^  ^^•'  ^-  ^"t 


pr'l 


f  C 


14 


CONTENTS 


XXIII.    RELIGION 


.231 


XXIV.    EDUCATION 


f*""""'  in  Connection   with   MiMiona  —  F,™/  r 

Church  -  HbcOovernoiT  A  P  s*'!''  .I"'!,' ''y**'!'" 
mony  — The  New  ?r„  t^j  »  ..•^"'""''''"i  "  ^Mti- 
GoveWnt'.  Neglec^I^it'^E^tf  ?"  ,?".■:',-  '^' 
Training  on   to   th.  n-j  ■        "^  *"  ''"'"  I"*'"" 

Wi..  Be  Tn.e"o'-/-ihfra'^,»IJ^„»«^,'i-Wh.f 


245 


INDEX 


255 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


"  Lovers'  Walk  "      . 

Pearl  Harbour,  Alaska 

Chilkat  and  Vicinity 

Children—"  Posing  " 

Auk  Village 

Treadwell  Gold  Mine 

Baskets 

Natives  Vending  Curios 

Chilkat  Potlateh  Dancing 

Totem  Pole 

Chilkat  Blanket  and  Woman 

Numerous  Curios 

House  Totems  and  Interesting 

Juneau,  Alaska 

Juneau  Native  Band  . 

'A.  Trent  Stream 

Map  of  Alaska  . 


Objects 


Frontispiece 

.       18 
24 
44 
.      50 
.      72 
82 
.      88 
.     138 
.     156 
.     168 
.     178 
.     188 
.     194 
.     200 
.    236 
.     254 


?jes7^. 


.irsr 


actei 
viroi 
type 
diffe: 
their 
Th 
Italy, 
resou 
found 

.  ^ 

indnsi 

sary, 

to  fin 

resom 

.  The 

it  wou 

tiat  ii 

are  toi 

native 

"  Grea 

of  Thii 

the  Es 

the  Ian 

"Ala, 


INTBODUCTOBY 

type  of  man  from"?ttativf  of  C°  :I«h''  '^'^^T."* 
difference  is  largelv  dL  fn  ti,n?i-i^  "^*'  .^"'^  ^''e 
their  respectiveToKries    *^'  '''ff^^nces  between 

Italy"^th"if«'I^f  ^•*''  P«'P^«  °f  *»>«  same  race 
foundinc^and%^ggV&^/^^  ^^^  '''«* 

resources.    Hence  mli^t^A^I    "  climate  and 
.  Tlie  word ''  Akska  '  h««  v."'*"^  "^/Pt^--- 
it  would  seem  tverv  or,«^^   fT  "''  "/^^^  '^«fi"ed 
that  it  means  ^^rL  r^™?'*  H""^  ^^  this  time 
are  told   is  an  ahhr*^  Country."     The  term,  we 

r.ative  Cd  aS&  or%T  ""''i^'P"'"'  °^  ^^^ 
"  Great  Country  "•^"/^^'if^-f'^-^'*'  meaning 
of  Thlinget  orSn  bnt  p^J'^^l  ^'-^^Tshak  is  not 
the  Eskimos  ft^'isstriH^t?^  °"«'"^.t«d  with 
the  land  may  well  be  c&Jye^[^?P"«t«.  fo' 

•"  Alaska  »  Sheldon  Jackson,  pag«  14. 
17 


'  '   .* 


.»»• 


,,.-1 


18 


INTRODUCTORY 


To  say  that  Alaska  hn  an  area  of  over  617.703 
iqnare  miles  gives  bat  a  faint  impression  of  ittt 
immensity.  It  is  better  understood  hj  com- 
parison. Its  area  is  about  equal  to  the  United 
States  east  oi  the  Mississippi  River. 

The  coast  line  of  Alaska  is  even  more  remark- 
able thiiu  the  area.  In  extent,  and  probably  in  its 
physical  features,  it  surpabses  that  of  any  other 
country  on  the  globe.  The  physical  features  of 
the  coast  have  marked  influence  on  the  lives  of 
the  Tbiingets,  making  them  expert  seamen  and 
fishermen. 

The  pa't  of  Alaska  occupied  by  these  people 
is  a  vast  archipelago^  containing  more  than  a 
thousand  islands,  varying  in  size  from  an  acre  to 
thousands  of  square  miles. 

More  villages  of  the  Thlingets  are  seen  on 
islands  than  on  the  mainlanr*.  Cozy  harbours 
with  fine  beaches  are  chosen  for  town-si^s.  As 
the  native  is  a  Beafaring  man  he  wants  his  home 
at  the  water's  edge.  His  canoe  is  always  at  hu 
door  ready  for  use  at  a  moment's  notice. 

The  islands  are  mostly  mountainous  with  bold 
and  rocky  shores.  Pretty  beaches  are  found  here 
and  there,  but  they  are  not  nnmerojs.  All  of  the 
straits  and  most  of  the  bays  of  the  archipelago 
feel  the  influence  of  the  ocean  currents  and  storms. 
Some  of  them  are  very  rough  at  times  and  ex- 
ceedingly dangerous  to  navigate,  yet  the  natives 
rove  over  them  at  will  in  their  frail  canoes.  They  j 
often  go  to  sea  way  out  of  sight  of  land  without 
compass  or  chart,  yet  they  find  their  way  back. 

A  mountain  chain  fringes  the  main  ihore,  con- 
taining numerous  mountains  of  no  mc^n  propor- 
tions.  Many  of  them  tower  thousands  of  feet  into  | 
the  air  and  are  etemaUy  crowned  with  snow.   Sev- 


liom"'  ^ 


f 


era 

ina 

Th( 

tre( 

8pa< 

woo 

som 

long 

A 

and 

smai 

has  : 

open 

cross 

hund 

are  i 

as  ft 

vesse 

theyj 

sand 


Not 
said  ti 
to  a  li 
and  fi 
roneoB 
cerned 
tinent 
Alaska 
with  it! 
mounta 
climate 

•"Alas 
f'Alas 


CLIMATE  jg 

eral  volcanoes  are  found  in  the  ran^o     a  *■ 
maehve,  they  are  liable  to  hnr!f  *  ?u    f-*  Present 
These  mountains  as  a  ™Ip  ff  **"■  .^  ^*  ^^^  time, 
trees  and  shrubbery     P^' *^V^^  ""^"^^^^  ^th 

=ed%^iH&r  ^^^^^^^  " 

-e  o.  therbir.r  SXnSS 

and  ttrtlSnistX'«"o??ri'"l^*  "^'^^^^^ 
small  craft,  several  hiS-?    travelling,  even  in 

has  made  trips  of  over  fourb,?^''-^  ^^^  ^"ter 
open  dory,  carryinH  tln^n  ^•'^'^  °?''^«  ^  an 
crossing  &gebS  of  Sat^r  "^^f-'^"!' «°d 

hundreds  of  miles  every  year  in  Tw  *'''*'  ^'^^^^ 
are  reliably  informed  tlf/w     ^^"" ''^°°es.    '^e 

as  far  south  aHln  F™/-^"  ?»''  *^«y  ^^nt 
vessels.    It  is  a  i.  T""??  "^  *^°««  little 

they  frequently  we^fS  tradet'^r. ''^- ^"•=*  .*^«t 
sand  miles  fro^  the  triMrthe^nS. '  *'°" 

Climate 

saS°at"n£fyl??l'-  ^^^°  ^"«-  -d 
to  a  large  extenr  UiafA  f  f^?'"*"  '*'"  Prevails 

and  fri^d  eoSy-^^N^tW?^' cou?,*'^'^  ''«"«'» 
roneous  so  far  ntlln=V  i.?  """'^  "'^  more  er- 
cerned.  ''Probably  ^LM^"  '""-"^  ''"^^^  '«  con- 
tinent presents  snob  «  ^-'^  '?f'^™  «f  ti'is  con- 
Alaska. ''•''h  f"!  ^,  diversity  of  climate  as 

with  its  large  rSlfng  pS  ZT""^?^  ''  ^^''^^' 

mountains,  the°e°L™'i^«'J-^^^^ 

chmate."  t    "  As  xjin  f5  ui^  ^  ^^^^  diversity  of 

-Ala  t  L  *^^*  ^  P"«°°  ask  about 

T    Alaska,"  Jackson,  Jage  52. 


Ise^"-  i 


to 


INTRODUCTORY 


the  climate  of  the  United  States  without  particu- 
larity, as  to  propound  the  same  inquiry  concern- 
ing Alaska."  * 

The  climate  of  Alaska,  like  that  of  '  United 
States,  varies  according  to  the  locality  and  the 
season  of  the  year.  The  section  of  the  coimtry 
occupied  by  the  Thlingets  seldom  experiences  the 
extremes  of  heat  and  cold.  "  Zero  weather  is  a 
rare  occunence  in  Sitka,  antl  there  have  been  win- 
ters when  the  temperature  seldom  fell  to  the  freez- 
ing point. "  "  What  is  true  of  Sitka  in  this  regard 
applies  to  all  of  southeastern  Alaska." 

The  mean  winter  temperature  of  southeastern 
Alaska  is  about  that  of  Washington,  D.  C.  Navi- 
gation in  this  part  of  the  country  is  open  every 
day  in  the  year.  During  the  writer's  long  period 
of  residence  in  Alaska,  he  has  not  seen  a  day  when 
steamers  could  not  land  at  the  local  wharves.  This 
relative  mildness  of  winter  on  the  south  coast  of 
the  territory  is  due  in  part,  at  least,  to  the  warm 
Japanese  (Kuro-Siwo)  current  which  crosses  the 
Pacific  and  splits  on  the  Aleutian  islands,  one 
branch  flowing  north  and  the  other  south  along 
the  coast. 

The  summers  in  southeastern  Alaska,  the  home 
of  the  Thlingets,  are  cool  and  moist.  Nothing  is 
more  convincing  as  to  the  climate  of  Alaska  than 
its  vegetation.  Great  varieties  of  small  fruits, 
such  as  strawberries,  raspl  )rries,  huckleberries, 
cranberries,  thimbleberries,  salmonberries,  cur- 
rants, crabapples,  and  others  are  native  to  the  soil, 
while  all  kinds  of  hardy  vegetables  are  easily  and 
abundantly  cultivated  there.  A  great  variety  of 
wild  flowers,  among  them  the  daisy,  dandelion, 

•"Alaska:  Its  Eesourccs,  Climate  and  History,"  Swineford, 
page  91. 


RESOURCES  gj 

Eesocbces 

its  people.  In  smnv^llmo  *^  f  "'^  character  of 
grow  without  culhVatLrrf'  ^^T  ^readstuffa 
hour  the  inhabitant  wkh'p«^f  ""^^  ^'^  P^"<''^<^'^  ^n^ 
we  find  a  different  ph^rL/'  ^P/^**"^  ^'^  ^™ger, 
country  where  mlnh'^rf*""  ^T  ^^^^  '°  the 
the  soil,  the  forest  or  the  w»?*  '^l'  '1^°^  fr«°i 
and  exposure  '  '^^*^'"'  ''y  hard  work 

abSdant!  yet'thev'^rf  "^  if '^^"^^  ^''^  ^^ried  and 

durance    courage  anr^^"'^'  •'*'^"^"''  '" 
genuity.  ^        '''  '"  ^^^y  instances,  in- 

"  ^'"ifi'""  f  "^  ^^'^^^'^J'  -^  -«^  ^/^e  makes 

t^erefgZl  y£iiy'"'  '''^  '"''^'^'  ^nd  of  these 
Some  kinds  of  fish'and  all  berries  may  be  had 


J6r::r;:'| 


ii::: 


Iksr^^ 


M 


INTRODUCTORY 


only  in  their  season,  which  is  short.  For  winter 
consumption,  these  must  be  secured  in  their  sea- 
son, and  properly  cured  and  preserved.  To  this 
extent,  at  least,  the  people  are  provident.  Venison 
and  halibut  may  be  had  fresh  the  year  round,  yet 
they  are  also  cured  to  some  extent  for  winter  use. 
Fish  and  seal  oils  are  put  up  in  summer,  as  well 
as  delicacies,  such  as  seaweed  and  herring. 

The  native  of  Alaska  must  not  only  hunt  the 
game  that  he  uses  for  food,  thus  requiring 
strength,  labour  and  courage,  but  when  he  kills  it 
he  must  dress  and  cook  it  before  eating  it.  He 
must  also  provide  fuel  both  to  cook  his  food  and 
to  give  him  warmth. 

Such  requirements  are  not  calculated  to  encour- 
age indolence,  and  we  find,  as  a  rule,  that  the 
Thlinget  is  industrious,  hardy  and  brave.  He 
sails  the  deep  in  frail  and  cranky  canoes,  scours 
the  forest  for  ferocious  animals,  and  often  meets 
his  human  antagonist  without  fear. 

Of  late  years  industries  introduced  by  the  white 
man  have  sprung  up  in  this  country  which  open 
new  avenues  of  employment  for  the  native.  The 
mines,  canneries,  sawmills,  fisheries,  and  other  in- 
dustries call  for  his  brawn,  if  not  his  brain.  En- 
lightenment is  creating  new  and  varied  desires 
which  impel  him  to  greater  exertion. 


n 

ABOEIGINES  OF  ALASKA 

A  ^^Z^&S:^^^''\  «»  ¥^,  more 

domain,  no  one  iSy  befn"  trM°'''^''**'^^««t 
The  native  population  h««r^  ^^'"^l^  populated. 

ExcludinrtheS?  tnt'^u'^'^'y  ^^<=^«a«"»- 
«i.pfheansX-^^^^^^^^ 

handle,  Md  the  Erkimnf  ;i^j.\?°"thwestern  pan- 
Bering  Sea  and  the  ArctTc  n '*'°»  the  shores  of 
divisions  are  asain  ^,hi-  -P^?-  ^^ese  main 
families.  ^^  subdivided  into  tribes  and 

tribes,  there  are  onlv  twn  T  ■?•  *''^''^  «'«  twelve 
ravens  and  eagL ''^serionr'"'"?/  '^"°^"  ««  the 
Evidently  the  fwlive  trTbe"  'f  W*''.  T  ^"^hor. 
hiJi  a  suggestion  "'  ■^^'^'^'  have  given 

eae^h';"eaTd?^^ir„^^  ^t'lT^^  families  of 
"re  again  subdiS  into  v«t;.  '''/""•/^'^^'^m's) 


ill 


itoe 


.■•  i 


M 


ABORIGINES  OF  ALASKA 


Mrs.  Ella  Higginson,  in  her  work  on  Alaska, 
gpes  to  the  other  extreme  by  making  only  two 
divisions  of  the  natives— the  Thlingets  (or  coast 
Indians)  and  the  Tinnehs  (or  interior  Indians), 
making  the  Thlingets  to  comprise  the  Tsimp- 
sheans,  Hydahs  and  Yakutats.  But  the  Thlingets 
have  a  common  language  and  the  Tsimpsheans 
and  Hydahs,  who  speak  an  entirely  different  lan- 
guage, should  not  be  included  with  them.  The 
Yakutats,  on  the  other  hand,  speak  the  Thlinget 
tongue  and  should  not  be  regarded  as  other  than 
Thlingets. 

This  same  writer,  who  seems  to  have  a  predilec- 
tion for  dual  divisions,  divides  the  Thlingets  into 
two  tribes,  the  Stikines  and  Sitkans.  The  Stikines 
and  bitkans  are  not  tribes,  but  peoples  of  their 
respective  localities,  the  same  as  those  who  live 
in  Boston  are  Bostonians,  whatever  their  nation- 
ality. <»""" 

Tourist  writers  fall  into  many  errors  when  they 
assume  to  write  about  the  natives,  as  they  cannot 
be  comprehended  at  a  glance  nor  their  customs 
obse^^ttk)  °^^  months,  if  not  years,  of  close 

Each  division  comprises  people  of  a  different 
type  and  language  from  all  the  others;  each  has 
Its  own  specially  well-defined  territory  and  cli- 
mate, and  the  customs  of  the  people  in  one  differ 
in  many  respects  from  those  in  the  others  The 
tw  7^,?^  ^!u^  ^''^t'^^  is  widely  separated  from 
that  of  the  others.  The  Thlingets  are  hundreds 
of  miles  from  the  Aleuts,  Tinnehs  and  Eskimos, 
lo  J  *f +r'r^,*v  ®^^  ""  Eskimo  or  an  Aleut  in  the 
land  of  the  Thlingets  as  in  Chicago,  and  an  Eskimo 
18  as  much  an  object  of  curiosity  to  the  Thlinget 
as  to  an  inhabitant  of  Illinois.    In  over  twenty 


!;«r3 


i-asjs 


p 

B 
al 
hi 
ki 

th 

D( 

liv 

tri 

plc 

nit 

hoi 

ant 

he 

I 

tril 

thei 

iiy 

enu: 
The 
are 


THEIR  VILLAGES 


suit.  '       "  '"^*®  '^ere  witnesses  in  a 

C'in^feiVeSLVr'"^  "'  """^^  "f  vil- 
Alaska.  The  TonZs  trfh«  "?  "'  soutlieastern 
in  and  around  ToZssthi"w^'''  *^^  "^^^es 
Klawock  and  vicinifyf  thl  «f?f°*'^°'  *''°«e  of 
Wrangell;  the  Kaaka  nJ  ;n  ®*'<-*eens,  those  at 

Takoos  aid  Auks  are  found  n^^"'"  ^""^"i  «'« 
tans  at  Sitka;  the  Yak,n=  *'*  J"?«a»i  the  Sit- 

ChilkatsatHaintalttnlt?  '"'''''''''  '^'^  '^^ 

iS^AeSk-Sfn  t#  11'^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  *a? 
at  Haines  (or  ChilCwLl^l"'^  ChQ-ka-na'dy; 
hfl'dy,  and  the  ffia  U'd^  «f  r""^-*""!  ^'^-I^a: 
ke-ton',  the  Auk  and  thl^l'nlV;"''"  '''^  ^"«^- 

thlXthrigencnrSU^t^^  ^P™"^  «P 
Douglas,  SkagW  and  P.f  \^^  '°^°'  «"ch  as 
living  ik  them  are  from  '''■^'"■^'  ^''^  °«tives 
tribes.  They ^impfy  !"'?„  Tf'""' , "''"''«««  »d 
Ployment.  Thev  mfv*^^,,!  •  ^^\P'«''e«  for  em- 
"itely,  but  theT  ne4r  "rerarT'^h  P'"*^"^  '"-^^fl- 
homes.  Ask  a  native  '' Whl  •  *''^'"  ^^  tlieir 
and  he  will  invariahlv  n„  !u^  '^.yo*""  home?  " 
he  was  b^rn.  '''^  ''^'^^  ^^^  ^i"age  in  which 

tn£at%uMi?ldSa^'r''^  r°«-«<^'  tJ'e 

heir  distinctive7otem^  bad^°'  ^""^  families/with 

ily  house  (Hit)     Th^=p^;  ?^'  "'•"ests  and  fam- 

.'0 «» A»';S:f,  ty»' JLJs?^:,^! 


:«5SJ 


16  ABORIGINES  OF  ALASKA 

The  various  tribes  come  under  one  or  the  other  of 
these  main  divisions. 

While  the  Thlingets  from  Tongass  on  the  south 
to  Chilkat  on  the  north,  a  distance  of  over  four 
hundred  miles,  are  of  the  same  stock  and  speak 
the  same  language,  yet  the  enunciation  is  a  little 
different  in  each  community.  One  finds  this  an 
obstacle  in  using  the  language;  if  he  learns  it 
from  the  Chilkats  and  tries  to  speak  it  with  the 
people  of  Wrangell  he  can  scarcely  make  himself 
understood.  Among  the  natives  themselves,  who 
are  familiar  with  the  different  shades  of  enuncia- 
tion, there  is  little  or  no  difficulty. 

Again,  while  these  Thlingets  are  all  of  the  same 
stock,  some  communities  have  been  more  pro- 
gressive than  others.  The  Chilkats  were  always 
a  haughty  and  aggressive  people.  For  years  they 
held  and  controlled  the  trade  with  the  interior,  or 
Tinneh,  Indians,  and  even  disputed  the  right  of 
the  white  man  to  advance  through  their  boundaries 
to  the  land  beyond.  The  Hootz-na-oos  of  Angoon 
(Killisnoo)  were  of  a  turbulent  and  warlike  dis- 
position for  generations,  and  were  only  subdued 
by  force  of  arms.  The  Auks  (at  Juneau)  have 
always  been  regarded  as  a  poor  and  spiritless 
class,  and  are  more  or  less  despised  by  the  other 
natives. 

They  are  all  a  maritime  people,  and  their  main 
food  supplies  come  from  the  water.  The  canoe 
(yiik)  or  boat  (6n-ta-yak-oo')  is  to  the  Thlinget 
what  the  camel  is  to  the  Bedouia  of  the  desert. 


m 

OEIGIN  OF  THE  ALASKANS 

recorded  historv  n);^.  •  ^°  *"®  absence  of  any 
will  probacy  lever  r'"?  ','?'"}'  *^«  1»«««on 
Some  have  comp  f „  „„  ®  positively  determined. 

another.  The  consensus'?/'"''?".  """^  «°°>«  to 
PonitstoanAsiaHcorigiV^  "P"*'""'   ^"'^^^^r, 

fe?trJa^Vt^d"v':^^^.f  i-  ""^'^  h- 
It  rests  on  the  one  fact  th7f  ^'1*.*°  «"PP»'t  "• 
both  have  been  found  in  Ai„"t"'''V.''°™°°  *" 
nothing.  Theearlv«?nn„?u^'**^"-  ™s  proves 
been  the  imporleS^of  C^„  explorers  might  havl 
independent  of  each  Sw  T'^'^'  ^^*=^«  wholly 

common.   The  Hindoo  of  inZ^""^"^  *^^^'  '° 
m   common   with   thp   iwf  •  ^  ^"^  ^°™e  things 

would  assert  Xt  the  f^,^„""''"   ^^   ^^^   who 
latter  t  "'  t''®  f*'™"  sprang  from  the 

ftand  on  the  same  Plane  nfrf"^   ""^"^  P«°Pl« 
the  same.  ^'^^^  "^  ^'^«.  are  very  much 

would  n^inJn^'b^TLtlL^'^'r^  --« 

Clubs,  spear,  ^3!^^^-^^^^^  -Q 


5iK::r.''| 


iW'?-' 


tt  ORIGIN  OF  THE  ALASKANS 

skins  nnd  furs.    So  the  possession  of  si  -ne  things 
in  common  does  not  prove  relationship. 

The  theory  that  the  native  of  Alaska  is  an  off- 
sprinjf  of  tiic  Xorth  American  Indian  stands  about 
on  tlie  same  par  with  tlie  Mexican. 

Professor  Dall,  a  man  of  e.\ccptional  ability, 
rather  favours  this  view.  He  maintains,  in  one 
of  his  reports,  that  the  natives  of  Alaska  were 
once  inhabitants  of  the  interior  of  America,  and 
that  they  wore  forced  to  the  west  and  the  north 
by  tribes  of  Indians  from  the  south.  He  makes 
the  rather  remarkable  stntonicnt  that  he  can  in 
no  way  connect  them  with  the  Japanese  or 
Chinoso,  either  by  dress,  manner  or  Innguage. 

This  is  surnrisinjf,  coming  ns  it  does  from  a 
man  of  his  intoliiffence  and  research.  Even 
tourists  and  transients  passing  through  Alaska 
have  observed  the  striking  resemblance  of  native 
Alaskans  to  Japanese.  The  Thlingets,  especially, 
seem  so  closely  related  to  the  people  of  the  easf 
coast  of  Asia,  that  a  European  traveller  who  had 
been  around  the  world  once  remarked  to  a  mis- 
sionary, "  How  many  Japanese  you  have  in 
Wran^ell!  "  At  the  time  there  was  not  a  Jap- 
anese m  the  place.  The  people  he  saw  were  native 
Alaskans. 

It  is  a  common  occurrence  for  these  natives  to 
be  mistaken  for  Japanese.  Some  of  them  are 
facetiously  called  "  Japs  "  by  their  own  people. 
Minor  W.  Bruce,  in  "Alaska,"  says:  "Prof. 
Otis  T.  Mason  of  the  same  institution  [Smith- 
sonian] takes  the  position  that  the  emigration 
came  from  Asia  to  this  continent,  and  that  the 
Alaska  Innuits  are,  undoubtedly,  of  Mongolian 
origin. 

"  We  are  also  constrained  to  take  this  view, 


CONSENSUS  OP  OPINION 


small  stature,  almond  shnnai'  "'"'*'  complexion, 
small  hands  aid  feet  are  tnl,''^^-''."^  unusuflily' 
ble  evidence  of  kinship    '      °'"'  '"""^'  "^niistaka- 

JdJy^Vd^^-t-™^^^^^^ 

Japanese  character  always  soil'  ^  "''  '"  "'« 
their  genius  seems  best  Kr^^T"^"","'"  And 
of  their  carving  ''  '"ustrated  in  the  nicety 

gIe?freS-S-tS  mXf'  '"''■•  "  '  l"*-  -- 
Alaska),  tie  TonZ  tZt^T""'  P?P»l«tion  ("f 
Haidas,  the  Sitk4,  |,e  Koo  n„n?''  ^}^  ^^^''''  "'e 
b»  a!  of  them  aremSX'tT^'^^'^^^^'' 
All  ahke  indulge  the  tastPa  i^  ^^''.''''f'''  ""Rin 
and  are  imbued  with  smH^LT"  "  .Physiognomy 
"»  China  and  Japnu'      ^"^^  Peculiarly  noticed 

in  Al£,  SSi^HTbTok^'^Al^  --ionnry 
dians  of  Alaska."  "  T  m  «rT- '  Among  the  en- 
shrouded in  the  misty  ve?loTtl^^  !^^?.^"^«  » 
their  past.    There  is  mnni!  *"®  traditions  of 

originally  came  from  t^e  innT'""*  H  ''c"c^«  they 
have  the  oyes  of  a   Wn'"^"* ''^  Asia.    They 

same,  the  Jolour  of  Iheir "kin'  „T  ^''^  ""*  thi 
Jap."  "^  'neir  skin  also  resembles  the 

Alaska,^ri'tef;  '^VfrK/"*''  •  "'^  governor  of 
to  thei;  origin  have  be  "  l^'^^^VPecnlative  as 
of  the  coast  anS  [he  fslandf««'f^-  ^'''^^  "'°«' 
^here  the  Eskimoshnvl  h.  •'  ^^"^  ""rth  as  to 
habitation,  are  a  distinnr.''"'"' ■  ™°'"'*  southerly 
the  blood  of  the  American  I,?;i?"'"-'°"V''  '^'"''P  "^ 
unless  it  be  in  soma  ;t,  f  °""'  'n  their  veins 
«  scarcely UeSsafr^^  "'  "°««  »''eedi^l' 


Cte™.; 


i«B: 


r---l 


so 


ORIGIN  OP  THE  ALASKANS 


_  "  They  are  not  Indians  in  the  common  aoceptar 
tion  of  the  term,  but  are,  undoubtedly,  of  Asiatic 
origin.  They  are  naturally  bright  and  quick- 
witted people,  with  a  Japanese  cast  of  features." 

The  Eev.  J.  P.  D.  Llwy  d,  of  Seattle,  in  his  inter- 
esting little  book,  "  The  Message  of  an  IntUan 
Belie,"  says:  "  Students  of  ethnology  are  not  yet 
agreed  as  to  their  origin,  although  the  weight  of 
argument  seems  to  support  the  view  that  they 
are  a  branch  of  the  Asiatic  peoplos,  and  are  near 
of  kin  to  the  Japanese,  whose  cast  of  features  is 
strikingly  reproduced,  for  instance,  in  the  chil- 
dren seen  by  travellers  in  the  Indian  village  of 
Sitka." 

We  discover  traits  in  the'  natives  of  Alaska 
found  in  the  Mongolians.  They  are  both  skilled 
carvers  in  wood,  and  in  carving  they  draw  the 
Isnife  toward  the  body  instead  of  shoving  it  away 
in  Yankee  style.  Both  have  a  fondness  for  squat- 
ting on  the  floor  and  for  eating  from  one  dish, 
in  common;  both  have  profound  reverence  for 
their  ancestors,  the  Mongolians  literally  wor- 
shipping them.  The  Alaskans  have  a  strong 
predilection  in  this  direction,  as  their  feasts  for 
the  dead  evidence.  Both  quickly  adapt  them 
selves  to  the  ways  of  progressive  peoples.  In 
this  respect,  the  Alaskans  are  much  superior  to 
the  Indians  of  the  States.  Centuries  have  elapsed 
since  civilization  was  introduced  to  the  latter,  and 
yet  many  of  them  remain,  practically  speaking, 
savages.  On  the  other  hand,  only  a  few  years 
have  elapsed  since  civilization,  in  any  marked  de- 
gree, was  introduced  to  the  former,  and  yet  to-day 
we  can  find  no  savages  among  them,  while  many 
of  them  are  fully  enlightened. 

The  Alaskan's  docility  marks  him  as  one  who 


IN  SUPPORT  OF  MONGOLIAN  THEORY  31 

aiM.  Then,too,tLAlaska-.  ''^^•."■'  ^''^- 
loving  the  sea  as  he  loves  hr.?.'""^,"  l'  ^''^S' 
he  IS  to  be  happy  mu^tlZJ^"  .;  ^'«  home,  if 
the  women  arfsS     S«°?  *»??  «ame.   Even 

with  the  8ea-lovin?disposSn  n/tif  T'^^Ponds 

Another  fact  wK;«v,  i    j     °  °^  *he  Japs, 
theory  is  thaUhMlia  ^'"'^^.^"PPort  to  the 
Posite  the  shores  of  fhf^  ^°^^h  '^  ^'J-ectly  op- 
Part,  at  least,  not  so  very  /aTJ'""'  T'^  '°  «"« 
This  would  afford  an  eaJvn^  away  from  them. 
Japanese  or  Chinese  adventt^^f^'^ity  for  any 
by  design  or  accident     Col„'t,^f  \V^^''^  ^'^^ka 
Asiatic  adventurers  may  W,;'^';i'°'°«  "'"Id 
Alaskan  shores,  and  from  thZ  if^'^t'^  '^P"''  the 
the  new  racial  branch     Or  ^?  ™u7  ^^^«  ^P^^S 
ago    some  tempest  tossed  't«^'''"^'  generation! 
junk  was  driven  nnon^^^  Japanese  or  Chinese 
and  the  occupanWt°hi^''^„^^^f  a  Alaskan  coast! 
the  nucleus  of  the  new  ra^    fc^*  "«"  fo^ed 
Asiatics  have  been  stranded  X'""  ^T""^  y^^^s 
why  not  some  centuries  a„ot       ^"'^  '^°'^''  ^^^ 
discS^eJed  SkaTn^  Kamchatka,  before  they 

The  Chukcht  S  'abSS  of '1^"^^  f'^'^  * 
evidence  of  MongoUa?Si„^  Kamchatka,  bore 
of  the  Asiatics  mithf  jTo  ""S^""-  From  this  wins 
the  summer  tbSfftrinVrr^?*  Alaskans  ?f 
Chukchi  to  Alaska  can^be7«i^'-'="""*'3^  of  the 
eanoe,  and  in  the  same  Hr^»™  ''^- '°  "'"'  day  by 
remdeer  team.  ^  *™^  ""  wmter  by  a  swift 

tr4fo'iSe:3\l?rif*^»  -r  continually 
"■asters  thatV  peopL  Jf  S'  ^^  *''"'•  ^"ssian 
-'-    The  earirarSS  £'•;??: 


i- 


W'^^'ff 


8* 


ORIGIN  OP  THE  ALASKANS 


ness  to  this:  "In  the  other  land  [Alaska]," 
writes  one,  "  the  people  are  like  the  Chukchi,  with- 
out any  government." 

"  Opposite  the  Cape  [Noss],"  writes  another, 
"  lies  an  island  [Diomedes]  inhabited  by  people 
resembling  the  Chukchi." 

"  The  interpreters  accompanying  the  expedi- 
tion [Waxel's]  belong  to  the  Korick  and  the  Chuk- 
chi tribes  .  .  .  being  in  outward  appearance 
like  themselves  [the  natives  of  Shumagin]."  * 

"  There  are  able  students  of  ethnology  who  in- 
sist upon  the  origin  of  these  Alaskans  being  Asi- 
atic for  various  good  and  sufficient  reasons, 
instancing  not  only  their  personal  resemblance, 
but  the  similarity  of  their  traditions  and  customs 
to  those  of  the  people  of  Asia.  To  have  come 
thence  it  is  remembered  they  had  only  to  cross 
a  narrow  piece  of  water  forty  "liles  wide.  This 
passage  is  frequently  made  in  our  time  in  open 
boats." 

_  But  while  the  preponderance  of  facts  is  greatly 
in  favour  of  an  Asiatic  origin  for  the  aborigines 
of  Alaska,  there  is  still  another  view  of  the  matter 
that  merits  some  consideration. 

John  W.  Arctander,  in  "  The  Apostle  of 
Alaska,"  writes:  "  Where  the  Tsimpshean  origi- 
ally  came  from,  it  is  impossible  to  ascertain. 
Those  who  nssociate  them,  even  in  the  distant 
past,  with  the  Japanese  or  the  Koreans,  certainly 
do  not  find  any  very  good  arguments  for  their 
contention.  They  perhaps  drifted  northward 
long  ago  from  some  tropical  island  in  the  Pa- 
cific." 

Mr.  Arctander  does  not  cite  his  reasons  for 
holding  tliis  view  of  the  origin  of  the  Tsimp- 

*  Bancroft 


'  r.'J 


SIMILARIT.   ,.  '  .LANDERS  33 

While  it  is  true  thev  h^t        ®  *""•*  P^op^e. 
superstitions  in^oCTn^'^^C^  '"^'"""^  «°<i 
tenon  by  which  to  dSinpM      '?  ?°  ^"""^  tri- 
ple.  It  were  just  as  reaSlf,^  ^'i^"^  «f  a  peo- 
premises  that  the  people  of  J. '^^e'^  from  such 

the  natives  of  Alaska  yet  tC'  '°,^T"'°'»  ^'^h 
in  declaring,  because  'of  thrs?«rl^  be  Justified 
kans  have  sprung  from  the  Af-'  *H*  *'^«  ^las- 
absolutely  no  relation  =^-  ^^"cans?  There  is 
the  two  races.  ""'^'P  "^  connection  between 

do^n^VLveTs'^eo'unr*"'"  ?'  '""^  ^'''^tans  that 

"f  the  Pacific.     The"Sm  *o7"^  ,"'.^.  ''''^^»^ 

when  she  becomes  of  a^e  of  vol ''''■",'^'"*^  ^  ^i'"! 
old  men  and  youns  ml   °;  ^  "°*^  ^''^^  marrying 

the  father  having  LTJadonTnT  °^^  ^°'"^"'  «^ 
of  the  property  of  thldllf   "  ^^'s  own  children, 
Posite  tribe  oFthe  Sceased   nT'"""^  *°  ^'^^  OP 
observing  taboos  of  taM    •    '  f/  Pregnant  women 
and  feasfing,  "ofVamJeri^^^^^  of  dancbg 

ism  and  witchcraft  of  tho^i.M,'^''^"'  ^^  shamai^ 
brother  taking  Ms  wWnit'"'''*-^''  "^  «  deceased 
passed  to  the*  parents  o^  thA\°f  S'^s  beLg 
baskets,  of  mar?y W  at  L  It  ^"^«'  "^  ^eaviuf 
npon  twins  as  an  ev?l  o„,?n  ^p'''  ^^^'  °f  'ookinf 
^fy  late,  and  practicaZ  „'ll°^fT^''r^  '^l^iWref 
of  the  Thlingets  arp  fnii  'J  ^^®  "^lier  customs 
»f  tteislandfoi  tKc'r'  '^  "'^  ^"^^^itan^B 

t^ehappyandU-tand^tr^t.^^^^^^^^^^^ 


!;*r:;!'*| 


I:: 


'■<OS! 


M 


ORIGIN  OF  THE  ALASKANS 


affection,  credulity,  love  of  pleasure;  also  ungov- 
ernable passions,  instinctive  aversions,  jealousy, 
cunning  and  a  love  of  revenge. 

We  believe  that  both  the  Islanders  and  the 
Alaskans  are  of  Mongolian  origin,  chiefly  Jap- 
anese, and  that  the  Alaskans  were  the  first  scion 
from  this  stock,  and  the  Islanders,  for  the  most 
part  at  least,  indirectly  of  the  same  through  the 
Alaskans.  It  is  far  more  probable  that  the 
islands  were  first  peopled  from  the  mainland, 
rather  than  the  mainland  from  the  islands. 

After  studying  the  problem  for  years  we  be- 
lieve the  racial  flow  was  along  the  Asiatic  coast 
to  Kamchatka,  thence  to  Alaska,  and  from  Alaska 
to  the  islands  of  the  Pacific.  This  would  account 
for  the  similarity  of  the  many  customs  observed 
by  the  two  peoples. 

It  may  be  asked,  if  the  Alaskans  have  sprung 
from  so  happy  a  stock  as  the  Japanese,  why  are 
they  so  much  inferior  to  them?  We  reply,  be- 
cause generations,  possibly  centuries,  of  isolation 
have  made  them  so.  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that 
degeneracy  generally  follows  such  a  state. 

Until  a  more  plausible  theory  of  the  origin  of 
our  Alaskans  is  advanced,  supported  by  stronger 
arguments  than  the  foregoing,  we  shall  continue 
to  believe  that  our  neighbour,  Japan,  is  responsi- 
ble for  the  existence  of  this  aboriginal  people. 


IHE  THUNQET  LAmVAm 

moiily  used  have  become  XJ  .*^™\'  °^'=e  com- 
M  ives  now  living  have  ,n,t''*«-  ^.^^^  «f  the 
Thhnget  and  are  Inacquain?p7"l  "^  *^^  P"'e 
which  their  ancestors  ^^,  T*^  many  words 
Dew  words  are  befng'coi^ei'K-  -^^«°.  «gai^ 
demgs  superinduc^edr/fh^rpr^^^^^^^^ 

-orVb'uifdTnyatJv^^^^^^^^  *°  -te  Thlinget 
'tem  by  whi  peoS  *?<  r^'*'  ftroduced^^o 
called  *«A-a-W'/oo  because  ff™  "^  Wheat  "  is 
spawn.  Gfe-^e^^'^^Hs  ?,  w  ^^^^."'''les  oolikan 
which  analyzed  h7un(6r^\T^V°-'  ^'eamboat; 
n^e),  hence  steamboat  i«n^'^''^^'*)-2'«'fc  (ea- 
f  A-oo',  the  worTfor  smalf rr"'^-,^^^  On-tl 
noes,  little-canoe-on  shir^tLf ''*',-2*'^''''  tl'an  ca- 


fife:.;'-  ■'[ 

11     f : 


I-    I ' 


►■-^is  •" 


86 


THE  THLINGET  LANGUAGE 


boats  from  canoes.  Ice  cream  is  called  d-uk-S- 
hug'wd  (frozen  grease) ;  Epsom  Salts,  ko-wdn- 
nouk'.  frost  medicine,  because  it  resembles  frost; 
goolth'ddn,  excitement,  is  derived  from  goolth 
(whirlpool).  Lima  beans  are  known  as  wutze- 
watze,  because  they  resemble  the  fat  seen  in  the 
moose.  "  Quaker  Oats  "  resembles  the  seed  of 
the  native  wild  celery  (yd-na-ate')  and  for  this 
reason  is  called  yd-nd-dte' shuk-d-hee'ny. 

Many  white  psople,  from  some  peculiarity,  are 
nicknamed  by  them  and  these  names  become  part 
of  their  vocabulary.  One  man  is  known  as  Thloo'- 
tuk-an  (red-inside-of-nose) ;  another,  Ki-tik- 
kleak'  (one  arm). 

The  language  now  abounds  with  corruptions 
through  the  effort  of  the  natives  to  adopt  or  in- 
corporate words  from  the  English  and  Russian 
into  their  own  tongue.  Their  word  ddn'nd  is  a 
mispronunciation  of  dollar,  Kin-ditch'  for  King 
George,  and  Kin-ditch-wdn  (King  George's  peo- 
ple) for  Canadians.  Kin-ditch-wdn-got'ty  is  the 
name  of  an  island  in  the  Chjlkat  river,  so  called 
because  some  Canadians  once  camped  there. 
Gow'e  is  a  Thlinget  corruption  for  the  English 
coffee,  and  goo-ndsh'es  for  molasses.  We  might 
multiply  examples  almost  indefinitely,  but  those 
cited  will  suffice  for  our  purpose. 

Some  of  their  borrowed  words  which  they  have 
incorporated  they  pronounce  correctly.  Among 
these  are  sugar  and  butter  in  English,  and  sM- 
deen'gd  (pig)  and  wos  (cow)  in  Russian. 

An  invention  known  as  the  Chinook,  a  jargon, 
has  also  had  a  share  in  corrupting  the  pure 
Thlinget.  Terms  from  this  linguistic  hybrid  are 
frequently  mixed  with  the  Thlinget.  Such  terms 
as  Siwash  (Indian),  skookum  (strong),  tUlicum 


PROPER  NAMES  g^ 

feS'wS;.  ^""'^^  -'^  -"y  others  are  pure 

.^A'   (rnale)   means  %tKf  th!  ^°'°^-° '  ^«-'^^- 
^oo«-e--j./i'  (male)  father-of1o;?/""!iT"'«'  ^'^«- 
Pl'ed  to  persons  are  ^  a   °"      ^^^  "'"«^«  «P- 
handed   down    from    g^neratfor./"^""''^  «°d 
^Vhile  the  Thlingets  have  «n  =?      *"    fc"eneration. 
of  them  have  more  than  one  .T*"""!;  ^'^  "^o^t 
three  or  four.    They  need^!      ™®-    Some  have 
tification,  as  the  fnmJif.       ^.°  surnames  for  iden" 
Their  names  refer  To  thi^''  'T'^  ^^''  P«W. 
soon  as  one  hears  th«  m.    ""I*  •""  totem,  and  as 
exactly  where  to  place  h?r'  °'  """'''^^  ^^  ^^^ows 

tomes'  a'fTth^r  and^'he  It  '^f!'f'^  ^^^^^  he  be- 
with  the  word  ircfajher  ann!n/?^'x^'«  «Wld 
stance  the  child 's  name  i  E^H  ,?'  fo^  in- 
is  called  Hi31t-zoo-ish'7H,if  i  *"^°„°'  the  father 

Certain  proper  iami^  J^i^    ^^"°^"^""-^°°')- 

and  only  members  ofXtrib?f  '\'-'i^^'''  '"bes, 
belong  can  assume  them     R*'l.'^'''''h  *he  names 

Mme  bears  on  the  totem  of  fhi  f '  T*™  ^ach 
ndividual  is  classified  as  font  ^^T'^'  ^'^'^  the 
spoken.    If  he  ;„  °"^„   ^i  ^oon  ao  his  name  is 

Bhow  who  are  L  3  tn°ba1  f^llf-^'"''  ^t  '"''°"^" 
M/ro^^^-VhStS;""^-    ™«  -cures 

=-to^e^~^,SnSSS 

The  paucity  of  the  TM^'^ff'""'^  "^  them.^ 
Sreat  as  many  white  n^iT*  ^^°^"««  '«  "ot  so 
One  thing  is  su^^  the^na?  '    •  ^  P'°^^  *"  thi,^" 
to  express  himself 'in\VoS^^^^ri«,'- 


!;.T.— ,:••"*  I 


iSSVt! 


38 


THE  THLINGET  LANGUAGE 


ever,  may  not  be  due  so  much  to  a  lengthy  vo- 
cabulary as  to  the  gift  of  speech;  the  English  is 
abundantly  sufficient  for  expression,  yet  not  a  few 
English-speaking  people  find  it  difficult  to  express 
themselves. 

Many  Thlingets  are  eloquent  in  speech.  Im- 
agery is  very  largely  used  by  them.  A  native 
youth  in  a  speech  likened  the  Presbyterian  Train- 
ing School  to  the  Sitka  harbour  which  is  sheltered 
from  the  ocean  waves  by  numerous  islands — so 
the  teachers  stand  round  and  about  the  pupils  to 
protect  them  from  the  evils  of  the  world. 

The  Thlinget  language  does  lack,  however, 
words  to  express  abstract,  spiritual  and  philo- 
sophical ideas.  It  contains  no  profane  words  nor 
any  oaths.  If  the  native  wishes  to  swear,  he  must 
go  outside  of  his  own  language  to  do  it.  But  it 
abounds  with  vulgar  and  sarcastic  terms,  and 
these  are  freely  employed  when  one  wants  to 
tongue-lash  another. 

What  it  lacks  in  abstract  terms  it  makes  up  in 
the  concrete.  For  example,  where  we  make  the 
one  word  "  nephew  "  apply  either  to  a  sister's 
or  a  brother's  son,  the  Thlingets  employ  different 
words.  Doo-hun-hd-yeet'  (nephew)  is  the  older 
brother's  son;  doo-keek-yeet' ,  the  younger  broth- 
er's son,  and  doo-kalth'k' ,  the  sister's  son. 

The  same  peculiarity  obtains  when  they  are 
speaking  of  brothers  and  sisters.  The  word  dif- 
fers according  to  whether  one  is  speaking  of  an 
older  or  younger  brother  or  sister,  or  whether 
a  woman  or  a  man  is  speaking.  A-hoon  is  the 
word  used  for  brother  when  a  younger  brother  is 
speaking  of  an  older  one ;  d-keek'  when  a  sister 
is  speaking  of  her  brother;  d-shut'k'  when  a 
younger  sister  is  speaking  of  an  older  sister; 


PECUUARITIES  OF  LANGUAGE  so 

«>K,of  his  sister.  '"*  "^^^^  «  man  is  speak- 

oun'ny    (uncle)    is   f)i 
speaking  of  one's  fatherl  If.t  ^'"P'o/ed  when 

you  are  speaking  of  it     «1  "ear  or  far  off  wlien 
or  four  names.  ^       ''•    ^"""^  things  have  three 

vo?abuSf  tht  moS*  ^"^«^«  l^as  more  of  a 

paucity  of  the  language  mat  h^  t^.l^'^  "»«•  The 
by  giving  an  illuSdon  ^The  t  i"  T^^''^^°^ 
that  can  be  made  of  our  Vp^fr  ^^J*  translation 
the  one  that  is  used  in  w/JSt  [hSS' -'^ 

This  is  the  literal  English  translation: 

Above  chief  praise, 
All  of  us  gifts, 

Praise  our  Father  very  pure. 
"^  «^-  -I^es  it  vi?1iSltt;irr, 


t;  to"  .■-■■' J 


issis  '■"  ^|' 


40 


THE  THLINGET  LANGUAGE 


to  acquire.  We  have  no  alphabetical  character  to 
correspond  with  this  guttural,  and  with  some  of 
us  our  vocal  organs  seem  utterly  incapable  of  pro- 
ducing it. 

Although  tlie  Tlilingets  have  no  written  lan- 
guage yet,  the  grammatical  construction  and  sen- 
tence structure  of  their  language  are  in  form  very 
much  like  the  Latin.  The  verbs  are  similarly  con- 
jugated, the  nouns  similarly  declined.  There  are 
but  few  of  the  former  in  the  language,  verb 
phrases  being  largely  used  instead,  and  these  are 
conjugated  as  verbs.  The  personal  pronoun  is  ex- 
pressed wholly  or  in  part,  or  implied,  in  every 
verb  or  verb  phrase. 

There  is  no  v^i-b  "to  be  "  in  the  language. 
Yd-yd-tee'  (it  abni;  i)  comes  the  nearest  to  it. 
There  are  no  separate  auxiliaries  such  as  will, 
may,  must,  etc.,  as  we  find  in  English. 

The  verbs  have  Voice,  Mood,  Tense,  Person  and 
Number.  The  nouns  and  pronouns  are  declined 
in  seven  cases.  The  plural  of  some  nouns  is  an 
entirely  _  different  word  from  the  singular,  cor- 
responding in  this  respect  with  some  of  our  Eng- 
lish plurals.  For  instance  yud-d-gwutz'koo  (boy) 
and  kd-sd'nee  (boys) ;  shot-gwutz'koo  (girl)  and 
shok-sd'nee  (girls). 

As  to  gender,  the  word  used  determines  whether 
the  object  is  male,  female  or  neuter.  The  fem- 
inine gender  of  animals  is  determined  by  the  syl- 
lable shech;  goo-wd-kon'  (der)  and  shech-goo- 
wd-kon'  (doe).  Shech'-a  being  the  generic  term 
for  all  female  animals. 

Like  the  Latin.the  Thlinget  language  has  no 
article,  and,  practically  speaking,  no  preposition. 
Kd  (and)  is  its  main  and  almost  its  only  con- 
junction. 


DESIRABIUTY  OP  LEARNING  ENGLISH    41 

Tl)»  Ti,r;„     1  1    '""'J<"-ii  and  (J)  verb 

They  have  no  access  to  lifnlf  '  '*"■  ."'«  "^''^es. 
are  shut  up  to  their  oJ"T«''  '"       *^ "'  ""^ 
mis.  its  elevathiK  influGnPni     rir-  """^  ««  "'^y 
their  language  ?8„Lip««n       ■'°  "'^  "'"'-'"'"^  I'la^e, 
cation  with  white  peonL  w..^  """"^  °^  communi-' 
their  country  and  with  ^i,    '"♦f*'  """^  Populating 
It  is  certain  that  H  e  wT,  ^  *^'': '""«'  ""^  cope* 
Thlinget.    If/therefore  the  r?P'°  ^'",  ?"*  '«a>n 
"ess  with  the  wWte  ne '  IP  nr  ^'^  '^°"  "^  '^^  '"'«i- 
the  white  man's  laws  bvwi.rn^.«  ""l^^'n'^d  with 
erned,  they  must  Zrn   F.Ji- ^^^  ?'"'*''«  «°v- 
Place,  thei/lan^age  is  alfoi  h„  •  •  '",  ^^'  ^^'''^ 
their  needs  as  their    ntS     .  ,,'°?''''''"at«  for 
In  the  fourth  place  the  i^.r""'  i'?l"'==°°  widens, 
that  they  «dll  far' more^r'^r^  ^°«^"«1' means 
their  old"^  deiradng  custoX  'Vofl■'"^^^'°'" 
the  progress  of  a  nennla  c^       Nothing  retards 

theT?:tuTd^?d7aSir  ^''V^*-^  ^-p 

English,  the  SrNni^^^^^^°^*'>«  liberal 

on  to  their  lan^ge  shouH  "h? ^'?''°*  ^  ^"'^ 
sionaries  and  teacherr  i.  •  ^^^  '''^  mis- 
view  of  addrlsin?theni'nT^?e  T'?  *^« 
of  elevating  them  is  tn  rn„i!  .u  "°  1"®^*  ^ay 
to  us.  *        ™  *^   *°  make  them  climb  up 

teadS  and  tTadersTn  t"^  ^°"  missionaries, 
language  when  thrrfl.'^"™  something  of  their 

not^eq^u'ir^S'Lw  ^EvTsn^  •"'If^  *^'^'"'  '*  '« 
young  people,  bl^e  aheldyfl'^A^  ^'"""^  "'« 
English  and  some  Le 'ife  fnl^.  ^^^y  ll 


[Ii3:r;-''| 


»'«v.^ 


M 


THE  THUNGET  LANGUAGE 


not  far  dintant  when  native  audiences  can  be  ad- 
dressed directly  in  English  without  the  medium 
of  an  interpreter.  Then  their  complete  civiliza- 
tion and  progress  to  qualification  for  citizenship 
will  be  ranid. 

Mr.  William  Duncan,  who  has  so  nobly,  unself- 
ishly and  heroically  laboured  for  more  than  fifty 
years  with  the  Tsimpshcans  of  Alaska,  declares 
his  people  are  not  yet  qualified  for  citizenship. 
May  it  not  be  that  holding  on  to  their  own  tongue 
is  largely  responsible  for  thist  Their  language  is 
useless  outside  of  their  own  liUlo  community; 
why  perpetuate  it  when  they  might  have  one  that 
is  universally  used  and  the  "se  of  which  would 
increase  their  knowledge  a  hundredfold  and 
qualify  them  to  take  their  places  as  citizens  in  the 
body  politic! 

It  would  be  folly  to  attempt  to  reduce  the 
Thlinget  to  writing  and  ask  the  natives  to  learn 
it.  The  time  had  better  be  spent  in  acquiring  mas- 
tery of  the  English. 

_  Were  the  Thlingets  a  great  and  flourishing  na- 
tion like  the  Japanese  or  Chinese,  or  even  multi- 
tudinous like  the  Africans,  giving  promise  of  in- 
definite perpetuation  like  these  and  similar  people, 
then  it  would  no  doubt  be  wise  to  give  them  a 
literature  in  their  own  tongue  as  well  as  in  a  for- 
eign one;  for  in  these  multitudinous  races  many 
will  never  know  any  other  than  their  own  lan- 
guage and  the  race  is  itself,  relatively  speaking, 
perpetual.  But  with  the  little  tribes  of  Alaska  it 
is  very  different.  There  is  but  a  mere  handful  of 
any  one  of  them,  the  white  races  are  rapidly 
crowding  them  to  the  wall  and  nothing  can  stop  it, 
there  is  little  in  their  languages  to  merit  per- 
petuation, and  the  sooner  they  acquire  the  pre- 


THE  CHINOOK  JARGON  49 

It  to  the  serious  Pnn.iio  *?  .  *°  recommend 
than  a  curio  Uy  T.vn.nK'?  °^  ■"">'  °"*"'  «""" 
it  has  no  grammatical  Zf  '"'7  '"  ^^'7  '™'ted, 
language  but  a^invw-      '*'""•'*'''"•  «"<1 '»  not  a 

last^faft'istheorthK.nr"'^^'''"'?'"-  Tl>is 
interest.  ^      ^*f  *""'  ^al^es  it  of  euj. 


..^ .•■■»1 

5     i:n 


*os 


...   I 


THE  FAMILY 


THE  husband  and  wife  always  belong  to  dif- 
ferent tribes.  According  to  a  long-estab- 
_  lished  custom,  a  Thlinget  cannot  marry  one 
of  his  own  totem,  though  no  blood  relation. 

The  children  belong  to  the  totem  of  their 
mother,  and,  of  course,  receive  their  caste  from 
her.  The  father  has  no  authority  over  his  own 
children.  The  maternal  uncle  of  the  children  has 
far  more  to  say  about  them  than  the  father.  The 
aunts  on  the  maternal  side  have,  also,  all  author- 
ity over  their  nephews  and  uieces.  They  are  re- 
garded as  mothers  and  are  so  called  by  their 
nephews  and  nieces.  When  the  mother  dies  the 
father  must  relinquish  his  children  to  their  ma- 
ternal uncles  and  aunts.  If  the  father  were  to 
inflict  any  injury  on  his  child,  his  tribe  would  have 
to  pay  damages  to  his  wife's  tribe. 

The  father  loves  his  children  none  the  less  be- 
cause of  this  custom..  He  supports  them  to  the 
best  of  his  ability  so  long  as  they  are  under  his 
care.  When  the  mother  dies  and  the  children  are 
taken  by  her  relatives  they  assume  their  support. 
No  child  is  ever  cast  out  among  the  Tlilingets. 
If  a  child  loses  both  parents,  some  relation  on 
the  maternal  side  claims  it  and  cares  for  it.  Fre- 
quently disputes  arise  about  who  should  have  the 
orphan  child,  so  desirous  are  relatives  of  taking 
their  deceased  relatives'  children. 

44 


Itarj 


t 

e 

8 
li 
a 
ni 
in 
w 

ps 
w] 
so: 

fO] 

foi 

Th 

wr 

for 

yea 

I 

girl 

thai 

C 

mat 

earl 

afte 

who, 

tLer 

etan< 

isth 

mer 

niont 

were 

as  se 

crime 

bad] 


TREATMENT  OK  NEPHEWS  AND  NXECES  « 

theT^.eXVaiSs^-  "»•-  ^-^  to 
ents— often  better  TTnnil  °'®  *^«""  own  par- 
gent  toward  theTr'  nS';s"Vrf  Ji^  '"^"l- 
liberties  they  takp  fhoKitf:,    ^^  ^^'^^  the  more 

?ephew  in  his  o^^Lme  'anf  2f''''T'  °"  ^^^^ 
^e-^reXl*^^  ^^^  tt^e^T^  S.^ 

who  are  so  unfortunate  as  tnT'^*''"-  ^^'"^^ts 
sometimes  adopt  them  sLi,  ^^\t  ?"  •^'"'dren 
for  children  that  some  nS 'I  ^^"'"^  *°''«1''««« 
foundling  homes  in  Washinit^  i"'^\?PPlied  to 
The  writer  ^as  asked  bvfw?  ^"f.  ^^-^te  babies, 
wnte  to  a  foundling  home  in  W^$  ^T«°  to 
for  them.  Both  have  Wn^o  "i^  ^"^  children 
years,  but  have  no  fTmily    "^^^  «  '"^^er  of 

,f  Is^^beSe''"  mt  Ts'Seerd^  t^''^^'^  *^- 
than  a  woman  esteemed  of  more  worth 

-ffet'? -'re-'^e'^^^^^^^^^^^  '"e^ti- 

earher  times  the^  were  put  to  J!=?k''''P'««'^-  I° 
after  birth.  "  Secret  "  ?h;ii?  ^l^  immediately 
whose  fathers  cannof be  dtti^™'  9^^!''  "^^^Idren 
therefore,  no  visibl?f«f^  ™'°^*^  a°'^  who  have 
?tances  destroyed  as  soS  a«'lf '  '"4'  '°  «°'"«  ^^- 
«  the  usual  method  of  di^posiW°>  Strangulation 
"■er  years  they  were  takpnf*^  */"'*'"•  ^°  ^or- 
months  stuffedwTmoss  or  ir-*''^  ^°<'^^'  their 
were  thrown  into  a  S  f^^^™^^,^°^  then  they 

as  secretly  as  posslbte  aVd  to'th.?'/-  '^  «•"  '^""^ 
crmie.  They  believe  thaf  if  I  •  "Stives  it  is  no 
bad  luck  wil!  folCtKa^4/-t^e  vei^ 


46 


THE  FAMILY 


difficult  matter  to  detect  this  crime,  as  they  can 
go  off  to  some  unfrequented  place,  camp  there  for 
awhile,  dispose  of  the  new-bom  undesirable  and 
when  they  return  to  town  have  a  plausible  state- 
ment to  cover  up  the  crime. 

Until  within  recent  years  a  regular  doctor  was 
never  employed  by  the  natives  at  childbirth  and 
even  now  they  are  seldom  called  for  such  a  pur- 
pose. The  majority  of  Thlinget  women  s"ffer 
very  little,  and  some  not  at  all,  when  their  children 
are  born.  They  have  been  known  io  give  birth 
while  sleeping.  In  former  years  the  universal 
practice  was  for  the  mother  to  lie  outside  of  the 
house  in  a  booth,  or  in  the  bushes.  A  hole  was 
made  in  the  ground  and  lined  with  leaves  or  moss 
and  the  new-born  babe  was  deposited  in  it. 

In  an  incredibly  short  time  after  giving  birth 
to  a  child,  the  mother  is  up  and  about.  They  are 
often  sitting  up  and  sewing  or  doing  bead  or 
basket  work  in  a  few  hours.  "  Delivery,"  writes 
Dall,  "  takes  place  in  a  few  minutes,  the  mother 
kneeling;  no  pain  is  experienced,  and  she  is  about 
again  and  at  her  work  in  half  an  hour." 

As  soon  as  the  Thlinget  babe  is  born  it  is  put 
into  swaddling  clothes  and  placed  in  a  strait- 
jacket  like  an  Indian  pappoose.  It  is  practically 
kept  in  this  for  a  year  or  more.  Hammocks  are 
made  by  doubling  a  blanket  and  running  a  rope 
through  each  fold.  This  is  hung  across  one  comer 
of  the  room  and  used  as  the  cradle  for  the  infant. 
A  string  is  attached  to  one  side  of  the  hammock 
so  that  the  mother,  while  at  her  sewing  or  basket- 
weaving,  may  pull  it  and  keep  the  hammock  in 
motion  to  rock  the  babe  to  sleep.  Infants  are 
seldom  weaned  under  three  years  of  age. 
Children  are  so  beloved  by  their  parents  that 


PARENTAL  INDULGENCE  OF  CHILDREN     47 

parent  has  been  «rrievn„»U^        ''  '^  ''^''^"se  the 

and  then  punishmenlTs  iSv'''.''^>^  *^<''»' 
The  wishes  of  childrpn  ^r^^  ^, '''^""'istered. 
the  extent  of  the  narXi  K-r?""""^  S-'atified  to 
ally  allowed  to  have  ?heii  o^'*^"  ^^%  ^'«  ''S"- 
Do  parental  restrahif  fthrn  T^'  "°<^  '""e  or 
is  due  not  so  in  fch  to  tZ  ^''°"'  t^?"--  This 
parental  love,  i  is  con  Jlf^**'  *°  misdirected 
love  to  let  their  ch  ldre„  1^-  ^"'°'?'^  "'  *'^"''' 
and  do  as  they  pW  ^  "^^""^  ^^^y  "^^^and 

Polyandry  is  rarely  praetiaed     T„   tx. 

years  of  our  residence  a~the1n  tif^  ""^"y 
were  reported  to  us  mid  ti.nf  '  ""^  *^°  ''ases 

The  domestic  lifp^tj.^^  '"'^'■^  ""^  Proven. 

%  is  of  aW  charlc^er  Moir'f^.\'^^""^^*  ^«'"- 
but  one  room  and  no  sec^ri  f  *^^  ^x°''«^«  I'a^'e 
room  several  faTies  frennpnff  °r''-  ^°  *^'«  °°e 
time,  eac'  amily  havin^T  "^  ^""^  ^''  ^^^  «*»«« 
such  as  ■      IhTii  „7.^l-  *^  '*!  °^"i  personal  effects 

etc.    tL  .oSs  uSZt?'"^^°^^«  ^'f  ^^ 

mture,  a  box-stove  beZ  the  "oat'^r  ''?°*  f^^"'"" 
In  some  may  be  fmimf  k^5?  ^P'^°.™*°entpiece. 
made  by  Se  n«t;vi^°    bedsteads,  either  crudely 

floor  is  ofteneT  ul  d  Kl ee.'ir''^'^^  ^""  "^^ 
bedstead  often  holds  botlP'f^  Purposes.  The 
articles.  ^   ^°^^^>   t^nks   and   other 

f  of  sTpte^^^rentih  C'  ''''''}''''  ''-^  -e 
lar  with  the  wompn  tn.  .^°  '■°""*^-  I*  is  popu- 
some  household?  «  *°/1"at  on  the  floor.    While 

table  (ofShome'ma/r"^^'^  f%^  ''^n 
deem  this  an  indWnsable  «?/ /"TI""'  ^°  "°t 
mg.  The  meal  is  more  fi„f  f,'®  ""^  bousekeep- 
floor  near  the  sio.TtZl'Z^ZZ-lZS^, 


■..::'f 


48 


THE  FAMILY 


cloth  is  used.  Even  where  a  home  may  have  one 
or  more  tables,  there  may  be  more  families  than 
tables,  and  so  some  must  take  the  floor.  The  gen- 
eral use  of  the  table  is  to  hold  accumulated  dirty 
dishes.  There  is  no  regular  hour  for  eating,  and 
any  one  is  at  liberty  to  cook  at  any  moment  of  the 
day  or  night.  Husbands  cook  for  themselves 
nearly  as  often  as  their  wives  cook  for  them.  If 
the  husband  is  hungry  and  wants  his  meal,  the 
wife  gets  it  or  not,  as  she  is  disposed. 

The  greatest  disorder  prevails  in  the  average 
home.  We  could  hardly  expect  anything  else 
where  several  families  live  in  one  room,  and  each 
wait  for  the  others  to  clean  up.  Then,  too,  fami- 
lies are  going  and  coming  all  the  time,  and  we 
hear  them  complain  that  they  cannot  keep  a  home 
very  clean  for  these  reasons.  The  beds  are  mussy 
and  seldom  made  np.  During  the  day  they  are 
lounged  on  and  slept  in  without  the  one  using 
them  taking  off  any  clothes.  The  Thlinget  sleeps 
whenever  he  is  inclined  so  to  do.  We  have  found 
them  in  bed  at  all  hours  of  the  day,  and  often  seen 
them  sleeping  with  their  clothes  on  as  they  came 
off  the  street. 

The  dishes  and  skillets  are  usually  dirty.  Each 
family  cooks  and  eats  at  a  different  time  from  the 
others  in  the  house,  and  if  all  are  using  dishes  and 
skillets  in  common,  those  who  use  them  last  leave 
them  dirty  for  the  next  set  to  clean — if  they  wist 
them  cleaned.  Often  they  use  them  as  they  find 
them,  dirt  and  all. 

The  popular  method  of  cooking  is  boiling,  al- 
though broiling  and  roasting  are  also  used.  In 
former  years,  before  they  became  acquainted  with 
the  iron  pot,  they  did  their  boiling  in  baskets 
woven  of  the  spruce  fibre,  and  so  closely  as  to  be 


ROVING  ^ 

i^^zi&r  ^^^  "^ '"^-  ^-  aVfh  w 

andJ^tr„Ttl°^hl'^^^^^^^^^^^^       eats  and  sleeps 

P=S-t5^K^5S^S^l?S 

drance.    Some  are  dS„  ,  J7*^°"'  '«*  "r  hin- 

move  about  fro^mhous°e°o\ora^  Personally,  but 
They  are  never  at  a  log.  tn  fi  T""^  *^^  *"''«• 
wiueh  to  stay,  and  that  f^f^'l  «<»°e  P'ace  in 
owner  is  not  at  home  anv  oTv°1*  -u"'*-  ^^  the 
and  make  themselves  at  homp  '  *"l'e  ^^y  go  in 
as  they  please.  ^''™®*  «''<i  stay  as  long 

o^ni  four  or  Ive^  Ti^  are  T'^'^'J^'^^  '"e" 
and  extremely  mean  Thev  "1  *  T"'^^''  ''«t°'-e 
pets  and  are  seldom  treat?^  „=  not  regarded  as 
'«ft  to  get  their  oZ  food     Th  '"'^/.    ^^^^J^  are 

snperstition  about  Sing  ado?%?^*'''""  '^^^e  « 
tills  him  the  ownera^^r^fJ^k  ?  ^°™«  o^e  else 
and  clamours  for  paf  nf  ^^^^^'^''^  ^^^  l»ighly 
valuable  creature  thoLh^!/"*^t"'y  becomes  a 
was  utterly  worthless  ^^      ^°'^  ^'  ^««  ^^Ued  he 

the  bay,  and  wash  them  therp  ,"'"^1^  stream   o? 
^ents  between  the  hands  '.L'  ^^'  ^^" 

^^i^eshe^^t^SsTn^^htt^ 


Jtt: 


.-r 


60 


THE  FAMILY 


between  her  hands.  Blankets  are  commonly 
washed  by  throwing  them  in  the  bay  and  treading 
on  them.  We  have  seen  the  women  treading 
blankets  when  the  weather  was  so  cold  that  their 
feet  and  legs  would  be  as  red  as  beets. 

Sewing  is  one  of  the  domestic  arts  of  the 
Thlingets.  Not  only  do  the  women  make  gar- 
ments and  patcl  clothes,  but  they  use  the  needle 
in  making  moccasins,  mittens  and  various  kinds 
of  beadwork.  Some  of  them  handle  the  needle 
with  much  skill  and  do  very  fine  work.  In  this 
age  both  hand  and  pedal  sewing-machines  are  com- 
monly used  by  them. 

In  the  home  life  many  things  that  we  would 
regard  as  immodest  cause  no  comment  among 
the  natives.  A  mother  has  no  hesitancy  in  suck- 
ling her  child  in  public,  or  men  in  lounging  around 
half -clothed,  or  children  in  going  practically  nude. 

Gossiping  is  one  of  the  besetting  sins  of  the 
women.  You  can  hardly  go  into  a  home  without 
encountering  a  group  of  gossips,  and  (juarrels  fre- 
quentlj;  result  from  rumours  thus  set  m  motion. 

Family  quarrels  are  all  too  frequent.  Jealousy 
prompts  some,  while  indiscreet  acts  and  ungov- 
ernable tempers  are  at  the  bottom  of  others.  The 
husband  chastises  his  wife,  sometimes  beating  her 
xmmercifully.  The  wife  does  not  always  tamely 
submit  to  this,  but,  defends  herself  to  the  best  of 
her  ability.  Often  she  is  more  than  a  match  for 
her  husband  in  brute  strength  and  in  the  science 
of  handling  her  fists.  Biting  is  a  common  mode 
of  inflicting  injury  upon  one  another  when  quar- 
relling. 

The  status  of  a  Thlinget  wife  is  not  that  of  a 
slave  to  her  master.  She  is  as  independent  as  he, 
and  she  asserts  her  independence,  too.    In  truth, 


»x~ 


i"  f-;. 


a 

w 
in 
th 
sii 
an 

g" 

ma 

an( 

hei 

ho\ 

cisi 

stoi 

hen 

and 

and 

pen( 

and 

whej 

son 

worn 

woul 

admi 

did  s 

WOul( 

spisei 

801 

to  th( 

reaso) 

of  bei 

more 

some  ( 

Intj 

as  a  V 

in  thif 

slsverj 


STATUS  OP  WIPE  3, 

SrKi.i'Srf  ?r  at;?  'Vt  »'  »•'« 

sires  to  iake  a  furchaj  h«^°"'"^'''-    «  he  de-' 
Md  get  her  consent     So^o!""**  ."??««'  t"  her 
g've  him  what  he  asks  for  or  di?„  '^'  *^««""««  to 
making  the  contemplated  OTrl?PP'"°r^/«  »' him 
a^d  he  realizes  that  he  ean^mai^fi.    »  spirited 
her  to  give  him  the  required^^^     .^^'a''^  foj-ees 
however,  he  meeklv  «i^  •     ^^o""*-    Ordinarilv 
cision.    If  he  Shea  Th'"''  ^  ^^^  wife's  dT: 
store  or  from  S  one  she^w^'*"'«'«  '"^  the 
herself  or  be  told  abonUt     T?  S   ^''"^  '^®  't  for 
and  good.    If  she  oSts   thf  t  ^f  "'Jf''^^^'  *«" 
and  the  purchase  is  not ln«rL.     qk""^  «*^ttle8  it 
pendent  that  she  mak^«  L      ^-  ^  ^^^  '»  so  inde- 
and  cook  his  o4  food     ThZ^^^  ^'«  "^  «lothet 
^hen  she  is  angry  I?  him  S  „„'  ^^^^^^  the  case 
son  ,8  more  stubborn  than  Z"^  '«"««•    No  per- 
woman.   You  can  t,^;«,!        the  average  Thlinffet 
would  sooner  be  beaten'  IT»  """,  ^'}^'  ^^    She 
admit  she  was  compelled  to  dri^f^^""  ^^''>  to 
did  she  would  be  sneered  at  a«  «    i^'""^'    ^^  s^e 
would  be  worse  than  death    Lt  ^l^"""'  ''"^  that 
spi«ed  as  the  very  West  of  n-Jf  "''*''*"  ^'"^  de- 
Some  consider  if  « \;    i     features, 
to  the  dem^d    of  thXttl  ""T^'''  to  yield 
reason  they  often  oppose  thet  ""l''  ^^  '<"•  this 
of  being  drudges  of  tteir  T^,^A   ^^  %t,  instead 

'?  this  day.  from  nn™„  i  ?ervant  for  hire;  nor 


!«:■: 


^h 


asjis:  ""  '.r 


St 


THE  FAMILY 


masters  and  for  their  master's  honsehcld.  Bnt 
the  days  of  slavery  have  passed. 

The  average  Thlingct  home  is  run  in  a  loose, 
slipshod  fashion,  bnt  there  are  some  which  are 
nicely  kept,  in  which  order  prevails,  where  the 
children  are  reasonably  cared  for,  and  where 
ma^ks  of  refinement  are  not  wanting.  In  com- 
munities where  the  white  population  is  considera- 
ble, native  families  live  interspersed  among  them. 
These  families,  as  a  rule,  live  along  the  advanced 
lines  of  civilization  and  manage  their  homes  as 
creditably  as  the  ordinary  white  families  manage 
theirs. 

In  taking  native  family  life  into  account,  it 
should  be  remembered  from  what  the  people  have 
emerged,  the  many  drawbacks  with  which  they 
have  to  contend,  the  little  means  and  few  facilities 
the^  have  at  their  disposal,  and  their  lack  of  edu- 
cation. It  is  a  question  if  the  average  white 
woman  placed  in  the  same  environment  and  under 
the  same  handicaps  irould  do  any  better  than  the 
average  Thlinget  w  jman  does  in  the  way  of  keep- 
ing a  neat  and  ordcly  home.  The  home  lacks 
every  facility  for  good  housekeeping,  has  but  the 
one  room,  without  closets  or  racks  for  garments, 
is  subject  to  constant  inroads  of  entire  families, 
and  the  housekeeper  labours  under  conditions  that 
afford  only  a  bare  subsistence.  All  things  con- 
sidered, the  Thlingets  have  made  splendid  prog- 
ress. History  shows  that  they  have  climbed  away 
from  savagery  much  more  rapidly  than  our  savage 
forefathers  did,  and  much  more  rapidly  than  have 
many  other  races. 


VI 


THE  COMAtUNITY 


E^e^r/S" "ffit^n^^  i«  independent  of 
^„^  on.,  bond  of  unil^yrtSroSteSe! 

apfrrSaf^andlozyTrbourf  ''t  '?""'^  '"""« 
are  chosen  for  town  s  e«  "  a'-^  "^  "•"'^  »'««'^'>e8. 
are  always  built  near  fit  .  ^^*  '"'"^''  hamlets 
the  water  beinir  the  fir«f  '''°':''/  a<"^e8sibility  to 
from  that  sourc*^  comes  'mrf''t''''*r'  '«"^«««e 
sistence."  •  ^*  nine-tenths  of  their  sub- 

JoLitT  ZrTS:^  *°  «-fonn  to  the 
laying  out  a  towSe  Thcl'L'"'  '"'?  *'""«  «« 
of  surveying.    The  vni""  ^     "^  knowledge 

have  any^st^eets,  as  vfrv  Zi^^'^^^.^'-  '^^  *» 
having  his  home  directly  on  titlJ'  ^"'''"•'"^  «^ 
in  most  instances  f ho  /.L?   ^  water-front.    But 

precipitous  shore  itiTZr  '^'°'''  '"'*^««'> 
"ack  from  the  shore      '  *  ^""^  ™"st  bu'ld 

^Snd'S'Ss^S'^txt?  r  ^'^'•i""^  *^« 
ertion  possible;  he  will  n  J  Pi  ^^^*  ''^°''^«  a"  ex- 
out  stumps  fo^  a  cTpiri?  '^"*,  '^°'^  ^''^es  and  dig 
required. ^He  usual  vcl„;^  ""'*"'  '*  '«  absolutely 
his  house  occupies  Lce'r?!,?/""?  ^''"'''^  ^^an 
no  homestead,  lor'Z:^'^^JZ^^^^.  ^\t 

Alaska,"  Ballou,  page  194.  "°" 

S3 


54 


THE  COMMUNITY 


quire  no  title  to  anything:  land,  homestead,  min- 
eral claim  or  any  other  property.  It  is  hard  to 
define  the  native's  status.  He  is  declared  not  a 
citizen  of  any  coxmtry.  Since  he  supports  himself 
he  is  not  a  ward  of  any  country.  And  yet  the 
United  States  claims  to  have  jurisdiction  over  him. 
It  sues  him  and  imprisons  him,  but  it  will  not  let 
him  vote,  have  any  voice  in  making  the  laws  by 
which  he  is  governed,  or  acquire  title  to  property. 
In  rights,  he  is  treated  as  a  foreigner,  but  in  pun- 
ishment as  a  citizen.  If  he  has  a  house  and  land 
he  cannot  sell  them  and  give  title.  Because  of 
this  anomalous  position  ia  which  he  finds  him- 
self, he  has  no  incentive  to  acquire  land  and  im- 
prove it,  or  to  prospect  for  mirerals.  In  but  few 
instances  has  he  profited  from  gold  discoveries. 
Consequently  all  ambition  in  this  direction  is 
stifled.  He  plants  his  little  home  by  the  sea, 
or  on  the  river  bank,  and  therewith  rests  con- 
tent. 

Many  of  the  houses  are  set  at  every  conceivable 
angle.  Had  the  houses  in  some  villages  been 
dumped  out  of  the  clouds  they  could  scarcely  have 
lodged  in  a  more  disorderly  arrangement. 

A  monotonous  appearance  characterizes  nearly 
every  village.  But  still  the  people  are  improving 
in  their  building  and  give  promise  of  approaching, 
at  least,  the  ordinary  home  and  architecture  of  the 
white  man  in  the  near  future. 

Years  ago,  while  massive  communal  houses  con- 
stituted some  villages,  others  were  composed  of 
mere  shacks  and  huts.  The  roofs  were  made  of 
slabs  and  cedar  bark  carelessly  thrown  over  pole 
rafters.  No  house  had  a  chimney  or  a  window. 
A  large  aperture  in  the  centre  of  the  roof  served 
for  both.    They  were  put  up  in  the  most  slipshod 


ADVANTAGES  AND  IMPROVEMENTS     65 

lages  of  years  a^o     V,t  T^'"^'  miserable  vil 

town-site,  because  thplnr  ^'""^  ^"""^le  for  a 
In  those  dS  "here  werp  -"'  "'^  so  mountainous, 
stick  put  int^a  house  had  torr'";^  ^""^  '^^^^y 
the  few  tools  thevha^li^''°*^-''^^«<^-  Then 
knew  almost  noSgal^cIrS"''^'""^  '''^^ 
were  greatly  handicapped  and  b,^l7"  ?""''  ^'"'^ 
disadvantages.  ^^^'^  ^'"^  »u"t  under  serious 

saSa^^tCst  ^'^s  to'/""*'  *°°'«'  »>-« 
able  materials  to  Zt  intn  h,  -u-    ""^  "°  for  suit- 
also  some  kno^eg  o/"earp Sf    ^""'^  ^^^ 
served  apprenticeshins  tnTjff !    7'    ®?™s  ^^ave 
skilful  in  hand  bg  tods     Thei""^  ^'  ^1"^  ^""^  ""^ 
brought  great  ch^anges  in  fe^t -f^"^  ^«^« 
rade,  dilapidated,   wfndowlpil  I  building.     The 
have  been  replaced  SrlmPbn^,"*'  ^^^  ^°^«1« 
dows  and  chimneys  and  shWlP^'^'/^'^."^  ^i°- 
only  have  their  hoLes  beeWnl''°°i'-    ^^  '"'* 
appearance,  but  the  inwtf^^  "''^.'^  "^  outward 
better.    Formerlv  thev  t    "  ^'^  incomparably 
'nere  rongh^otL'sL'd^;,"^^-  'veiled,    ^he 

cracks  wide  enough  to  thr„«?  fj.^  J^^  ^^"^f '  '"''th 
them.  But  now  their  bnnL  ^^  ^P^^'  through 
of  them  nicely  papered  °^h'  ^'t  'i"'*^  "'"'^  '"any 
[ages  that  ha^ve  swil^f' "*•  *!•  T^«  new  viil 
houses.  There  are  seve^ra^nl^^K'^"^  np-to-date 
^th  ancient  communa,  houst  an^ 
These  primitive  towns  present  «  1  °!f'"  ^°^^^- 


V    ^1 


66 


THE  COMMUNITY 


;;j 


Changed  conditions  and  the  example  of  the 
white  people  of  the  States  have,  no  doubt,  led  to 
these  improvements.  Under  the  Russian  regime 
the  natives  saw  no  modem  style  buildings. 

In  addition  to  the  main  villages,  there  are  sum- 
mer camps  for  fishing  and  berry  picking,  and 
winter  lodges  for  trapping  and  hunting.  The  ter- 
ritory of  each  community,  that  is,  the  fishing  and 
huntm^  territory,  is  well  known  to  all.  There  is 
no  encr  laching  on  one  another's  grounds,  as  all 
are  at  liberty  to  roam  where  they  will. 

In  every  community  there  are  two  or  more  dif- 
ferent tribes.  A  chief  is  at  the  head  of  each,  and 
nothing  of  importance  is  undertaken  without  first 
consulting  him.  Generally  his  word  is  law  with 
his  people.  The  individual  counts  for  little  unless 
of  high  rank,  or  caste.  The  tribe  is  the  ruling 
power  in  every  community,  and  usually  does  as 
the  chief  says.  All  grievances  are  redressed  and 
reprisals  made  by  the  tribe.  When  an  individual 
is  wronged  the  tribe  at  once  takes  up  his  cause; 
when  shamed  or  insulted,  the  tribe  at  once  re- 
sents it;  when  in  need  of  assistance,  the  tribe  is 
ever  ready  to  help  him.  Marriages,  house  build- 
ing, burials,  feasts,  potlatches,  dances,  the  erec- 
tion of  totem  poles,  and  many  other  things  are 
matters  for  tribal  consideration. 

They  have  no  municipal  government  nor  public 
utilities.  There  are  no  taxes,  as  there  are  no 
public  expenses  or  offices.  The  only  public  spirit 
expressed  is  that  through  the  tribe  to  its  own 
members. 

As  a  community,  they  will  suffer  the  greatest 
inconvenience  rather  than  lift  a  hand  for  the 
public  good.  No  one  would  think  of  removing  the 
carcass  of  a  dead  dog,  or  a  salmon,  from  their 


PUBLIC  UTttlTIES  57 

^ttVZueZf^i  "^  P-f«™-«  other 

to  eSh  rnrpteiliJfJ  '""V?  <^-P-"ion 
villages  now  ha?e  pLk  IVh'  ^S''*'^^'"-  ^ome 
halls,  and  in  one  or  wn.,?''^  1^^  ^"'^  Public 
electric  street  kmpVytW  t'^  ™°  «  few 
grow.  P  •     -^  *™e  the  spirit  may 

ins^alHaTubC  w^'tSt°f  ^'r'^T?"'  '^^y  have 
from  the  monn  ain  t"  ^^  ^" '  ^^  ^  the  water 
The  missionary  of  ?hat„tir  '^''1^^  P'P««- 
mover  in  the  enternr  se  Til  T-^'  *he  prime 
the  rroiect  and  nZ  ♦!  ?^®  °»*'^es  rallied  to 
stroig  Ssure     ^  ^'''^  ^'^^^  «°°d  ^ater  with 

eommnr;S  depS^  ^'j^^^^\  every  native 
beneficent  tides  flush  thp  ^^^'if  '*  f  "•*  ^^at  the 
twenty.four  hours  nothing- n  S'^v.^'  *^'''e  every 
from  extinction  years  SSfw'"^  have  saved  them 

demic  produced 'by  thefr  o4f  fiThT'F^°*,^Pi- 
ness.  ■'       "^  "^^  °"h  and  careless- 

enSghSSr^Ve'tar^r^  P^-ive  and 
village.  A  number  of  m^f  V  *""  *he  unsavoury 
us  that  are  as  tidy  and  iiJ^"""''  T  ^'"'^  *» 
white  man's  homf  MSHulVl  *^"  ""<^'°«'y 
settlement  in  connec1k,n  ;?th1he^p;rK<!?"?8e 
mission,  which  is  a  miiJ^  Jl  }^  -Presbj-tenan 
native  tillage  The  cottalTiwv  **""  *=r°'^'> 
are  occupied  and  o^ed  bTThoTe  who  '^^"'e^'^^* 
pupils  of  the  mission    h„f  ^ho  were  once 

have  families     The  ho^i  "^  """^  '"^'""^d  and 
and  kept,  and  l^fe  is  onTr^/i;^^^"^  furnished 
in  the  ordinar/-?ative°vilC''     '^""  ^'""^  *'^" 
The  social  life  of  the  average  native  community 


.•■■?1 


THE  COMMUNITY 


is  of  a  very  low  tone.  They  have  very  little  to 
break  the  monotony  of  life.  Aside  from  feasting 
and  dancing  they  have  practically  no  amusements. 
Public  quarrels  are  common  and  a  source  of  enter- 
tainment to  the  staring  spectators,  as  they  rarely 
fail  to  draw  an  audience.  All  domestic  troubles 
are  fully  aired  and  made  subjects  of  gossip.  Noth- 
ing is  hidden,  hence  we  see  the  entire  dark  side 
of  the  native  as  well  as  his  good  side.  They  are 
not  as  clever  in  this  respect  as  the  white  people 
are.  There  are  no  skeletons  tucked  away  in  na- 
tive families,  for  the  acts  of  one  are  familiar  to 
all  the  others.  Privacy  is  hardly  known  among 
them.  It  cannot  be  maintained  very  well  under 
their  system  of  living,  with  families  bunched  to- 
gether. 

The  Thlinget's  bump  of  curiosity  is  well  devel- 
oped, and  anything  out  of  the  ordinary,  as  an 
accident,  a  birth,  a  death  or  a  quarrel,  never  fails 
to  draw  a  crowd. 

The  women  gossip  unrestrainedly  about  every 
one  who  comes  to  mind,  and  often  mix  their  gossip 
with  many  grains  of  falsehood.  Some  of  them 
have  great  ingenuity  as  fabricators,  telling  things 
for  fact  that  are  a  mere  tissue  of  lies. 

They  walk  in  and  out  of  one  another's  homes 
without  the  formality  of  knocking  on  the  door. 
A  woman  may  be  in  the  very  act  of  changing  her 
garments  when  Mr.  Quakish  steps  in  unan- 
nounced to  visit  her  husband.  This  does  not  em- 
barrass her  in  the  least.  She  proceeds  as  if  no 
one  had  called.  They  walk  out  as  unceremoni- 
ously as  they  walk  in.  Having  sat  long  enough 
they  arise  and  walk  out  without  saying  a  word 
or  taking  notice  of  any  one.  In  turn,  the  guest  is 
as  little  noticed.    If  the  occupants  of  the  house 


STRATA  OP  SOCIETy 


men  are  very  taeit,?rn  J!  ""  ^.'"  ^  visitor.  The 
ing  in  and  s^it  g^rlSiJ'^'^^  °««°  com! 
word  and  then  pas^sing  ouf        '''*^'"'*  ^^^'^^  * 

-er  from  whaTiuf in'the^'^i^^/^^''?*  ^'^  '^^  -"n- 
very  few  remain,  some  viHn^K  ?°  *'^«  «""™er 
deserted.  The  peopTe  Trl  1 '  j!<'i°«  absolutely 
?"mmer  camps  and  place,  n?'"^  "^  '°  t^^eir 
It  IS  very  qufet  in  toS  L  thP 'f«T.l'°°'  '''"'«« 
for  the  winter,  and  festiviH.!^  ^'^  ^^^^  '"^t"™ 
tli>  Thlinget's  play  timf  4,  ^^^i""  ^'i°ter  is 
work.  i'Wnme.    Summer  is  the  time  for 

ThHnget'com'Sni?l'^teP°^tf  t  P«rt  in  every 

as  vigorously  on  the  Akskan fal'-^f  ""*  ''^^^ 
Hindoos  of  India,  yet  it  is  ?».  '*  '^""^  <«»  the 
severely  felt         '  ^     "  '^  ^^'^  pronounced  and 

hiS'medfum'"  1^^*^^^^^^^  f^l^-^^'  -«-t^.  the 
none  of  th*.  ln=f\^  *he  slaves.     There  ara 

They  al/miige°nVeTP'  "  ^'^  "  '«"  ovtrl'- 
the  high  visitfng'and  taw  w'f*^'  '^'  ^"^  ^°d 
Butmmarriagefatfea  ?s  in^^n^W-  ""''  ^P°^^^^- 
m  the  settlement  of  wrongs  and  1  '°"?'"''  «"d 
distinctions  are  alwayrassfrted  r^K"""?:'-"';  ''^"^^ 
family  strenuously  opposes  tfp  "J''?  high-caste 
of^ts  number  to  oL  o/aTow  r Xr'^'  "^  °"« 

/d''on?!,7a°^loVc:;^'cttenl'^^^^^       -  -r- 
A  low-caste  man  paid  the  dowry  for  a  high- 


60 


THE  COMMUNITY 


caste  woman.  Her  tribe  quickly  had  it  returned, 
as  they  would  not  countenance  such  a  marriage. 

At  feasts  they  arc  ^ven  positions  and  goods 
according  to  rank  and  caste.  In  public  councils  it 
would  be  considered  a  shame  for  those  of  high- 
caste  connections  to  listen  to  talk  from  those  of 
a  lower  class.  I  once  employed  as  church  inter- 
preter a  native  who  had  been  a  slave.  The  people 
of  the  higher  classes  refused  to  take  instruction 
through  such  a  medium.  When  I  found  out  the 
reason  of  their  coldness  I  changed  interpreters, 
and  the  work  took  on  new  life  from  that  moment. 

The  lines  of  caste  are  also  marked  by  the  atti- 
tude the  lower  take  toward  the  higher  classes. 
The  low-caste  man  must  be  very  careful  what  he 
says  to  the  high-caste  fellow.  The  man  of  high- 
caste  totem  can  say  what  he  pleases  to  a  member 
of  his  own  phratry  who  is  of  a  lower  caste,  and 
the  latter  must  meekly  take  it. 

Caste  is  revealed  in  property  affairs.  The  low 
caste  are  not  allowed  to  erect  houses  and  totems, 
or  to  build  canoes  equal  to  those  of  a  higher  class. 
Certain  names  are  not  allowed  to  be  used  by  in- 
ferior classes.  The  totem  governs  all  naming  of 
the  natives. 

Tradition  says  that  long  ago  the  natives  were 
savages  and  went  naked.  After  awhile  they  made 
clothing  of  skins,  and  used  sinews  of  animals  for 
threads.  The  babies  that  were  well  cared  for 
and  wrapped  in  furs  were  considered  superior  to 
those  that  were  wrapped  in  moss  and  neglected. 
The  high-caste,  or  well-raised  baby,  had  eight 
feasts  given  in  its  honour,  and  was  then  given  an 
honourable  name.    Thus  caste  was  established. 

Children  of  high-caste  parentage  are  high  caste 
by  inheritance.   The  child  of  parents  who  are  high 


THE  CHIEF  jj 

trunks,  and  dancU  paraoST"^  "^"l^  "^'"'^S 
tats,  dancing  robfs    e?i^,'^  ""=*' «8  masks 
teemed.    So  fre  Sty' hunf/Zs  ^'""^  ^'^^'^  <'- 

tje^^r L^;S^S?«^^^^^         -'^^  does 
natural   powers,   and   wi  1  °°'  ^^i^'"^  «"?«"•- 

When  the  chief  dies  the  offin!  ^    ^  *"■  elective, 
tis  son,  as  the  crown  does  £  F,?."*"'  ""*,  ?°tail  on 
but  on  his  brother  or  hfs  npn^^  T,,^"  kingdoms, 
sister-the  son  of  the  oldest^f  T'  t^^  ^"^  "^  his 
one.    This  is  to  keep  the  chll'?^  ^?«  '°<"-e  than 
correct  tribal  bounds     it  l^'^i^l"?  ^thin  the 
a  member  of  his  tribe  h.i»?  ^^^'s  son  is  never 
A  man's  sister's  s^Mw^^^^^  "'  the  mother's 
a  member  of  Ms  clan  or Yrfh''*^?  T^*"'^  always 
would  not  be.    For  tWs  «!'    ^'ll^other's  son 
chief's  sister  i»  recoraked  f  T  P^  «'"'  "^  the 
office  of  chief.     '^^''"S^^^ed  as  the  true  heir  to  the 

his^^mtiSiirbuWnrf  "•?"?  ^y  ^"  classes  in 
^0  one  daring'^to  givj  ri^,""!*^^  ^""'•e  countr^ 
t's  own  class  or  ra^nk  He  is^pf  <<«  except  one  of 
supported  by  the  members  of  V^'t"-! ''''"^ed  and 
wders  it  beneath  his^Mitw  '  *"''^-  ^e  con- 
Parcel.  His  game  is  p^°'enrl/"7.*.*'"  ^"^l^test 
fires  are  kept  up  for  him     Tn  f  ^""^  ^''  '^'""estic 


e:;  ;  ■:  ■''  f 


m 


THE  COMMUNITY 


ent  to  his  orders.  He  is  respected  at  all  feasts 
and  potlatches,  his  being  the  seat  of  honour  and 
the  largest  share  in  the  distribution  of  goods. 
None  of  a  lower  rank  is  allowed  to  build  so  large 
a  house  as  his,  or  give  a  greater  potlatch.  When 
one  of  his  own  tribe  wishes  to  build,  he  dictates 
the  dimensions  of  the  house. 

Some  tribes  have  more  than  one  chief.  When 
this  is  so  they  are  not  of  equal  rank.  The  Thlin- 
gets  are  very  supercilious  about  caste  and  rank. 
This  does  not  appear  on  the  surface,  but  is  seen 
when  we  understand  their  customs. 

In  this  day,  we  find  in  every  considerable  com- 
munity two  classes,  the  older  ones,  who  are 
tenacious  of  the  old  customs  and  superstitions, 
and  the  younger  ones,  or  rising  generation,  who 
are  striving  to  get  away  from  them.  These  two 
classes  often  conflict,  but  the  former  have  mostly 
proven  the  stronger.  Their  power,  however,  is 
constantly  waning  and  it  is  only  a  question  of  a 
few  years  when  they  and  their  customs  will  have 
gone  forever.  Some  have  entirely  dropped  the 
old_  customs  and  are  living  on  the  plane  of  the 
white  man. 

As  the  native  communities  in  Alaska  are  con- 
stantly undergoing  change,  what  is  true  of  them 
to-day  may  not  be  true  of  them  five  or  ten  years 
hence.  Many  things  that  were  Irae  of  them 
twenty  years  ago  are  not  true  of  them  now. 

It  would  not  be  correct  nor  just  to  take  descrip- 
tions of  native  communities  written  more  than  a 
score  of  years  ago,  as  applying  in  all  respects  to 
the  same  to-day.  >Tot  only  the  houses,  but  many 
of  the  customs  and  manners  which  were  common 
at  that  time  have  passed  away.  New  conditions 
are  constantly  confronting  the  natives  and  they 


MIXTUHE  OP  WHI^S  AND  NAI^S   «, 

eustoms  that  were  n>°aVS?^y  "''d  other 
longer  practised.  generation  ago  are  no 

natives  live  in  a  p^if    ^®  of  these  towns  th« 
others  they  a^^  mi.TT:i^  tt  'IT''^'^'  ^ 

The  founding  of  towns  h^  uu  ^'"^^  ""aces 
colonies  of  natives  ft^'V'*® '°™  has  drawn 
ancient  standing  to  sncH.^^''"  ^"^  villages^ 
"■ent,  and  this  CCd  «  °S'"^'  ^^  ^^p'o^- 
"fe;  m  some  respects  fnr"!'^  ^^^^  on  native 
evil.  There  are Tlso  tZ T^  -""^  '°  «ome  for 
every  village  that  were  nottr^"""*"*  ^°''*°"  '^ 
-re  than  a  .eneratio;\";l!?,e^Sa:dt'| 


^,^^^t 


f  f. 


■f 


Jfe- 


iA?  •'', 


vn 

PERSONAL    APPEARANCE,    DRESS    AND 
ORNAMENTATION 

WHILE  some  of  the  native^,  take  no  pride 
in  their  personal  appearance,  many  of 
them  dress  in  good  taste  and  malce  a  very 
favourable  impression.  This  is  especially  true 
of  the  rising  generation,  and  may  be  taken  as  a 
mark  of  their  progress. 

The  native  youth  wear  good  suits  with  up-to- 
date  neckwear,  and  the  young  women  have  dresses 
and  cloaks  in  harmony  with  the  fashion  of  the 
day. 

At  home  and  in  their  own  villages  they  are  in- 
clined to  show  an  utter  disregard  of  their  per- 
sonal appearance.  The  women  are  worse  than  the 
men  in  this  respect.  They  not  only  go  about  their 
homes,  but  visiting  through  the  village,  with  di- 
shevelled hair  and  unlaced  shoes.  When  they  ap- 
pear on  the  streets  and  in  the  stores  of  the  white 
man's  settlement  they  are  dressed  neatly  and 
tidily,  as  a  rule. 

The  men  generally  appear  well  in  public,  buy- 
ing and  wearing,  for  the  most  part,  the  best 
clothes  that  can  be  bought.  This  is  especially  true 
of  those  natives  who  live  near  any  considerable 
white  population. 

The  native  dress  is  far  in  advance  of  what  it  was 
some  years  ago.  For  a  long  time  the  blanket  was 
the  principal,  and  often  the  only,  article  of  dress. 

64 


FEMALE  HEADGEAR  ^ 

number.  °'  "^'^^^  ''  «  practically  a  back 

naSe^wonfef^PV^"'""*'"  ">  *»>«  headgear  of 

colours  and  combiSi,«  „f  „'f  •  ^"  '''"<^«  «' 
"Groups  of  natives  in  bnlr'T"  ^"'"^  ^°'-°- 
with  scarlet  and  yellow  hfnl''°'l"'*,'^  blankets, 
heads,  come  into^veJ  t''°''^?'-<='»ef8  on  theii^ 
as  we  glide  over  thT'^^^'ju""*  "«  curiously 
style  of*^headgear  hi  .,V»n'^  ^''*5-"*  This 
bonnets.  *       ^"^  8'^^°  way  to  hats  and 

Christmas  and  EaX''  ^Z^  f«  ^''"'"th  of  July, 
finery  is  brouriit  onf^n^  ^'  "i'''^  """^s  their 
taken"^  off  anTlaid  awav'TtV?;;  *^^  "^"iy'  t^^" 
comes  round  again         ^        '^  *^*  «P«<='aI  day 

wen7ndJtX7yTa  fh^l'  'T  'l'  '^^^ 

colours  t°itab1e?nrfo"a\^r?'T.^  ^'^'^  "^^ 
appear  in  snch  as  are  suit! hl^  ''f'%"  «*"  """y 
persons.  Their  eornhfrinHil  ^''^l^  ^•"'  elderly 
all  violence  to  good  tSe      '  °^  ™'°""  """y  do 

the  r3VfTuStln''rn*''1-^°°'^  *««*«  - 
taste  is  acquired  no  nherUed  C l'""'-  ^^^^"^ 
np  m  a  hovel  frim  infaiirv  !r^'^  u  ^  P"""^®  «f  ow 
and  vulgar.  On  the  olhpr  iT  ^^^  "^^^  ^^  "okrse 
a  beggar  into  a  fam°lv  „f  r?fl  '  P"'  P^'  "^^^  of 

'tely  to  become  retoedi^^hT'"*  ^""^  ''^  " 
tastes.  rennea  in  hjs  manners  and 

•Ballon,  page  194. 


i 


t  ■  * 


66 


PERSONAL  APPEARANCE 


So  if  we  Bee  our  natives  blundering  in  taste  as 
they  advance  in  civilization  we  should  not  be  sur- 
prised nor  ridicule  them.  It  would  be  a  marvel 
if  they  did  not.  It  is  really  remarkable  that  so 
many  of  them  appear  in  public  so  well  dressed 
when  we  remember  that  the  race  has  only  re- 
cently had  opportunities  for  development  along 
these  lines. 

Their  love  of  ornamentation  is  innate,  but  they 
are  not  peculiar  in  this.  The  farther  down  the 
scale  of  civilization  th"  more  pronounced  is  this 
characteristic,  and  it  ii.  ;arriea  in  some  instances 
to  a  ludicrous  excess. 

The  Thlingets  of  to-day  are  not  so  given  to 
personal  ornamentation  as  they  were  a  few  years 
ago.  Their  taste  in  this  respect,  as  in  others,  is 
constantly  improving.  Formerly  their  decora- 
tions were  excessive,  ludicrous  and  grotesque. 
Bings  were  worn  not  only  on  the  fingers  but  in 
the  ears  and  the  nose.  The  cartilage  in  the  nose 
of  every  Thlinget  is  punctured  for  nose  rings,  but 
these  were  worn  only  in  dancing.  Earrings  are 
yet  commonly  worn  by  females.  They  were  worn 
by  men  a  few  years  ago,  but  now  you  rarely  see 
one  with  them.  At  dances  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren wear  them.  Some  men  have  three  punctures 
for  rings  in  each  ear,  one  in  the  lobe,  one  in  the 
middle,  and  one  at  the  top.  There  are  ear-drops 
made  from  shark's  teeth  that  are  highly  prized. 
They  are  triangular  in  shape,  and  are  worn  only 
at  dances.  The  upper  end  is  usually  mounted 
with  gold  or  silver. 

Every  Thlinget  child  has  his  ears  and  nose 
pierced  for  rings  the  day  he  is  born.  Yam  or 
grass  is  put  in  the  opening  to  keep  it  from  grow- 
ing together.    In  earlier  years  rings  were  worn  in 


JEWELLERY 


h 


M  Z"\£  tharr'chn'/:  '"'  •"'""mentation, 
poor.  If  a^hild  h»r?n„  ■  '  '"^'■™'''  '^'"■^  not 
Wndhe  waglonkJf.  ""«  *""  Jewe'lory  of  any 
d^°pi8^        ""'"'•^  ''°*"  "P""  ""d  Ws  poopl.  were 

eepting  the  Tarl  tool  penlr   To™  "T  "'■  "^ 
*^veu  to  tjijb  day  women  may  be  seen  w^'"  V 

by  native  silversSL     Pn-'^'  '"'"'''^^  *°*^^''') 
by  native  artistsTA  JeSX^r"""''^  "^"^ 

braTs%b'Ta"d  S'  r  "^"  ^««««^<^  ^tJ'  « 


i 


"S''i»f.''''i 


h 


68 


-PERSONAL  APPEARANCE 


is  the  chief  consideration.  But  the  better  edu- 
cated and  more  refined  wUl  not  wear  tawdry 
jewellery. 

Their  rings  and  bracelets  are  worn  at  all  times; 
they  never  lay  them  off  for  drudgery  or  dirty 
work,  not  even  when  they  go  about  with  bare  legs 
and  feet. 

The  labret  is  a  piece  of  bone  or  silver  varying 
in  size  according  to  the  rank  of  the  person  wear- 
ing it,  that  is  inserted  into  the  lower  lip  just 
below  the  mouth.  It  is  worn  as  a  sign  of  woman- 
hood. Some  assert  that  its  original  object  was 
to  keep  women  from  talking,  and  that  if  a  woman, 
while  scolding,  dropped  her  labret  from  her  lip, 
she  was  considered  beaten  and  disgraced.  We 
have  asked  not  a  few  natives  if  this  be  true,  and 
all  we  have  consulted  have  repudiated  the  story 
and  insisted  that  it  is  worn  as  a  badge  of 
womanhood. 

Only  women  of  hi^h  caste  are  allowed  to  wear 
it.  Slaves  were  strictly  forbidden  its  use.  As 
the  woman  who  wears  the  labret  grows  older,  its 
size  is  increased,  30  that  a  woman's  age  may  be 
known  from  the  size  and  kind  of  labret  she  wears. 
In  some  old  women  they  are  an  inch  long  and  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  wide.  They  certainly  do  not 
enhance  a  woman's  looks,  but  on  the  contrary 
give  her  a  hideous  appearance. 

"  The  author,"  writes  Ballou,  "  has  seen  all 
sorts  of  rude  decorations  employed  by  savage 
races,  but  never  one  which  seemed  quite  so  ridicu- 
lous or  so  deforming  as  the  plug  (Ic^ret)  which 
many  of  these  women  of  Alaska  wear  thrust 
through  their  lower  lips.  The  plug  causes  them  to 
drool  incessantly  through  the  artificial  aperture, 
though  it  is  partially  stopped  by  a  piece  of  bone, 


TATTOOING  ilND  FACE  PAINTING      69 

position.    This  nrnpfjJi  °    "'"'^®  *o  teep  it  in 
the  plu^  beingUSed  in  ^T^'T^  ^  Vuth! 

o^'aTrf  rr^er //  ^''^  ''"'^^  -- 
8?ldom,  if  at  all,  resort™  to  .•^?v'°^''*'  ''"^  « 
h'gh-caste  natives  were  pei^i  ?»i^r  ?^^"-  O'^'y 
bodies  tattooed.  ProfessS  t!*?  *°  ^*^«  their 
plowed  to  do  this,  and  were  ifi*r'"  ^"«  ««>- 
their  work.  A  feast  ZZ  ^  ^  ■'*.'"«^  sums  for 
honour  of  the  occasion  Xy,"'''^?!^^'^  «'^e°  in 
tooed  in  the  public  esteem        '^^""^  *^«  ""^  tat- 

theTTaS'^ff  *a1oX"tCr*  "^«  -'*'^-  -^ 
longer  practised  excent  ft^^     °?~"  ''"stom  no 

was  done  the  tribal  mark  of  th'"'-^- ^^«"  this 
to  be  used.  For  in«f  nn!.  '  *°^  individual  had 
kilLor  (Keet)  trib/'wore'  a"  S^f  °^  *^«  ^hSS 
and  one  at  right  anX  toX«  '^"'^  *^«  «heek 
This  niarking%epresentedMa^-^*"'°'i  *h«  ^hin. 
(grampus),  and  showed  to  the  n,'',tr  °i  '^'^  Keet 
thus  marked  was  of  ?he  Keet  ^lo"  *Y  ^^^  ""^ 
of  the  Crow  (Yalkthrir;ir  u  i"''®-    -^  member 

-ehsideofthVnSetSwatU^^^^^ 

Of  the  eye  and  anglint  do^  lu ''^  V"'^''  corner 

"presented  the  beak  of  fhe  cr?w        "^''^-     ™« 

Jiven  now  manv  nf  ti-l , 
solidly  with  a  kind  0?  imSj"  ^'i"*  ^''^'^  f««e8 
grease.    This  is  done  howev' r  LT",''^  ''^  «•"''  ^''d 
*'-.  as  It  makes  them  ^SsSLy  ^t^ 


V 


70 


PERSONAL  APPEARAN'CE 


f- 


treme,  but  for  the  double  purpose  of  protecting 
their  faces  from  mosquitoes  aud  sunb'.m. 

In  former  years  their  dress  was  gorgeously 
adorned  with  beads,  buttons  and  abalone.  At  one 
time  the  abalone  shell  was  to  the  natives  what 
diamonds  are  to  the  white  people.  Many  carvings 
were  inlaid  with  it.  To  this  day  it  is  highly 
prized,  and  used  for  ornamentation.  In  the  days 
of  slavery  slaves  were  traded  for  it. 

Dancing  blankets  and  cloaks  are  elaborately  or- 
namented with  buttons  and  beads,  making  some 
of  them  very  expensive.  Beads  are  commonly 
used  to  ornament  moccasins,  pouches  and  wall 
pockets  that  are  made  from  deer  and  moose  hide. 
The  beautiful  green  found  on  the  head  of  the 
mallard  drake  is  very  commonly  used  for  adorn- 
ing articles.  The  head  is  skinned  and  the  entire 
patch  of  green  kept  intact. 

Our  white  sisters  cannot  criticise  them  for  this 
since  they  are  so  fond  of  adorning  their  own  bon- 
nets with  the  plumage  of  birds.  Native  women 
do  not  use  the  mallard  plumage  for  adorning  hats 
or  bonnets,  but  for  the  decoration  of  pouches  and 
wall-pockets. 

Most  of  the  natives  are  slow  of  movement  and 
lacking  in  grace,  but  some  have  fine  form  and 
carriage.  Some  of  the  young  women  are  exceed- 
ingly attractive. 

With  them,  as  with  white  people,  we  find  the 
attractive  and  the  repulsive,  the  neat  and  the  tidy, 
the  respectable  and  the  vulgar,  the  clean  and  the 
filthy. 

The  Thlinget's  standard  of  beauty  is  very  dif- 
ferent from  that  of  the  white  man.  Men  whom 
we  would  consider  extremely  ugly  are  very  much 
admired  by  Thliuget  women.    The  large  mouth, 


w^SlS 


STANDARD  OF  BEAUTY  71 

Thlinget.    The  natuL     f  ^'''"l^^  .the  average 

Plexion  of  the^vSre'ThS/.?'''^""'*  °"^"  «'^- 
very  pleasing    ^^^^^^  J-hlmget  young  woman  is 

looSg^""som?  of^lh^r"'"''^  ^'^^'•t  and  good- 
They  dTBBB  inland  fio^  "^^  '^^^^  handsome. 

TfKthLX'Splrtf  Zr*"  T-"^  °'  them 
Pos  S'sslnf  /«  r^"/"  P°«'t'°?«  «f  responrbil^ty 


i,  ,r-i 


Uh  »; 


It 


I'm 


vm 

INDUSTRIES 

THE  Thlingets,  as  already  said,  are  self-sup- 
porting, not  wards  of  the  government.  In 
fact  they  have  been  woefully  neglected  by 
the  government.  They  ask  only  the  opportunity 
to  earn  a  livelihood  and  that  their  natural  re- 
sources be  not  destroyed. 

"  Unlike  the  American  Indians,"  writes  the 
Hon.  A.  P.  Swineford,  at  one  time  Governor  of 
Alaska,  "  these  people  are  industrious  and  self- 
supporting."  Professor  Dall  bears  testimony  to 
the  same  truth. 

Unfortunately  for  them,  their  industries  are 
very  limited  and  their  seasons  very  short.  Their 
main  dependence  is  on  fishing  and  employment  in 
the  canneries.  They  catch  salmon  and  halibut  for 
the  local  markets,  shippers,  salteries  and  can- 
neries. 

The  halibut  are  caught  with  line  and  hook,  her- 
ring being  used  for  bait.  The  old  style  of  hook 
was  a  V-shaped  piece  of  wood  with  .ri  iron  tooth 
about  two  inches  long  projecting  from  .he  upper 
side  almost  across  the  angle  of  the  look,  and 
pointing  downward.  The  unwary  halibut  runs  his 
nose  into  the  V  for  the  bait  and  becomes  hooked. 
While  some  natives  prefer  this,  most  of  them  use 
the  modern,  up-to-date  hook.  The  old  style  are 
sold  as  curiosities. 

Formerly  the  halibut  line,  as  was  all  rope,  was 
n 


I 


lHlvMiUKI.I.    (;,,|,|,    ^1,;^,, 


w 
b; 
ii 
te 
cl 
til 
re 
as 
al 
lo: 
St; 
ap 
fif 
eij 

th, 
thi 
an 
wi 
a  I 

th« 
em 
wo 
the 
fai 
the 
gr£ 
gir 
gir 
wa; 
in  i 
elei 
C 
mil 


METHODS  OF  FISHING 


made  of  the  fibre  of  the 


78 

Jiv  hon^  '"riiu""'"  ""■  """  ^P'^'^  tree  and  entirely 
in  ™VoT  •'^°'"^°.'""<^®  ''*■  «"d  ''ecame  expert 
m  manufacturing  cordage  of  all  sizes.    It  was  a 

!hilT.^  ^°l'  °'"'  particularly  wearisome  to  the 
children  who  were  compelled  to  hold  one  end  of 

r„L  rrr'"  ?  ^^"^  ™°**'"  ^°^e  the  material  into 
rope.     1  he  Imos  were  made  many  fathoms  lonir 

aflv"^stroT  "'^  T*^^  ''5^  machine:  and  ex^eptiof-' 
ally  strong.    We  have  In  our  possession  a  very 

^f:^  l^^^'^'t^'fH  ^?"*'"*  ''°«  ^'th  hook  (old 
style)  a  ached.  It  is  a  fine  piece  of  work,  and 
apparently  as  strong  now  as  when  it  was  made 

ffi^ff^'/  ''^■-  u"-  '«  doubled  strand  and  three- 
eigntns  of  an  inch  m  diameter 

The  natives  do  not  build  fish-traps.  A  few  of 
hem  use  gill-nets  By  their  methods  of  fishing 
they  could  never  destroy,  nor  even  diminish  to 
any  appreciable  extent,  the  fish  supply.  It  is  the 
white  man  with  his  seines  and  fish-traps  that  is 
a  menace  to  this  natural  resource  of  the  countiy 

drfn  wn^^-*\V"*^''^  '^^"'  ^™*  ^""^en  and  chil- 
fc  ^  '°  the  canneries.  It  is  deplorable  that 
the  women  and  girls  feel  the  necessity  of  seeking 
employment  in  these  places,  for,  as  I  rule!  they 
work  w'th  Chinamen  who  are  the  very  scum  of 
their  nation,  and  the  native  women  and  girls  are 
thL  T),  ^^"l'^  ^?r^**i^  ^y  *•>"'•  -contact  with 
Lr!^'n  J  w'  **'"'  ;V^  ^"^^  employment  and  de- 
grading. We  would  protest  if  white  women  and 
gir  8  worked  m  them.  The  native  women  and 
girls  do  so  because  there  is  practically  no  other 
vvay  for  them  to  get  the  few  dollars  they  make 
ma  season.  We  regret  that  there  is  nothing  more 
elevating  in  the  way  of  employment  for  them. 

One  of  the  leading  industries  of  the  couutry  is 
mmmg.     This  is  c,  new  industry  to  the  native, 


74 


INDUSTRIES 


having  been  introduced  by  the  white  man.  Yet 
to-day  Bcores  of  natives  are  employed  in  the 
mines,  chiefly  at  Treadwell  and  Juneau.  Some 
of  them  are  expert  machine-men,  capable  of  han- 
dling steam  drills  with  skill,  but  most  of  them  are 
mere  labourers.  They  have  given  good  satisfac- 
tion as  miners,  but  many  of  them  are  averse  to 
working  in  the  mines  on  account  of  the  danger 
and  the  hard  work  involved.  Fishing  and  hunt- 
ing, their  natural  industries,  appeal  to  them  more 
strongly,  but  hunting  and  trapping,  which  once 
occupied  the  foremost  place  in  the  industries  of 
the  Thlingets,  have  now  fallen  to  third  or  fourth 
place.    Some  never  engage  in  them  at  all. 

The  natives  living  adjacent  to  the  ocean  find 
lucrative  employment  in  hunting  the  fur-seal  and 
the  sea-otter.  This  's  especially  true  of  the  Hy- 
dahs,  who  live  near  Dixon  Entrance,  of  the  Sit- 
kans,  who  live  on  Norfolk  Sound,  and  of  the 
Hoonahs,  who  live  on  Icy  Strait.  These  all  have 
access  to  the  ocean  where  the  seal  and  sea-otter 
are  found.  When  a  sea-otter  is  seen  he  is  quickly 
surrounded  with  canoes  and  speared  or  shot  bv 
native  experts.  A  single  otter  skin  brings  from 
fo;ir  to  eight  hundred  dollars. 

All  kinds  of  la)  '  animals  are  sought  by  native 
hunters,  but  chieh^  the  deer,  bear  and  fox.  The 
first  -Me  killed  mainly  for  food.  Their  pelts  are 
not  now  marketable,  and  when  they  were  they 
brought  only  fifty  or  seventy-five  cents  apiece. 
The  skin  is  largely  made  into  moccasins  and 
pouche;,  adorned  with  beads,  by  the  native 
women.    Aside  from  this,  little  use  is  made  of  it. 

Bears  and  foxes  are  killed  mainly  for  their  furs. 
Bear  skin?!  bring  frow  five  to  forty  dollars  apiece, 
according  to  their  quanty.    The  fur  of  the  red  fox 


CARVING  IN  WOOD  AND  METALS       73 

has  little  value  but  that  of  the  blue,  black  or 
BJver  18  very  valuable,  the  silver  bringing  as  high 
as  fourteen  and  fifteen  hundred  dollari  apiece 
Uf  course  these  beauties  are  not  caught  every  dav 
^lo^^f"""?  !^*^P'  ^^''^  »  f«^  years  ago  were 
tti'^'rr^*  "t  "."T  «'^"^<='''  «••«  occasionally 
hunted  The  meat  of  the  animal  is  highly  prize? 
and  Its  fur  makes  a  very  desirable  rug.  Thev 
have  verjr  httle  market  value.  The  marten 
^»rf.';°"-''  «°<J  la^d-otter,  as  well  as  oth^?  fur-' 
Sv^^s  n°«'^'''%f  %*"'«».'*^  ^^"^  they  cross  the 
?nr,W  J  f  ^^^  dressing  of  animals  and  the 
the""/omen     "  "'  '^°°"  '''"°«*  exclusively  by 

18?8"'t^f  ^H  ^^"*  Klondike  boom  in  the  year 
1898,  many  took  supphes  and  outfits  for  pros- 
pectors and  fortune  hunters  from  the  beach  un 

the  Vi'n^'""''"'*  ^''"^°°*  «'"i  White  Passes  into 
^ot/i    °°,  .«°""t'7-    Some  of  them  showed  won- 

labo'lri'orl'*''''*^  ^^  "^^'^  "•«  -«-y  «*"^ 

slfl^frj'*' '°  "^"i*"^'  ^"^^'■'  '«'™  and  stone  (black 
slate)  gives  employment  to  some.    These  carvings 

r  *"?/^  ""*rj'^  «''?«°''  fo"-  the  tourist  trade 
There  is  a  good  demand  for  them,  and  not  a  few 
dollars  are  picked  up  in  this  wky.  From  thi 
yellow  cedar  they  ca^e  miniature^otem^oles 
canoes  paddles  and  trinket  boxes;  froS  sHver 
coin  they  make  bracelets,  rings,  spoons,  napki^- 
rmgs,  paper-cutters,  butter-knives  and  s  ick-pi^ 
all  carrying  totemic  designs;  from  the  horn  of 

Ssels  of  nt^fr"'^  *>-''«te,  totems,  pipes  and 
vessels  of   ditferent  designs.    A  jrreat  deal   nf 

S^iinZ"""^  '"'  "'^  eviden'^eTin'lUe' 


\ 


76 


INDUSTRIES 


I 


A  few  Thhngets  are  carpenters  and  some  are 
cobblers.  A  few  are  engaged  in  business  on  a 
small  scale.  While  naturally  shrewd  traders,  very 
few  of  them  have  any  talent  or  inclination  for 
business.  They  are  rarely  found  in  any  of  the  pro- 
fessions. A  few  of  the  young  women  are  teachers, 
having  been  educated  in  mission  and  government 
schools. 

The  women,  on  tho  whole,  are  more  industrious 
than  the  men.  In  addition  to  their  domestic 
cares,  they  manufacture  (by  hand,  of  course)  mit- 
tens, moccasins,  baskets  and  all  kinds  of  beadwork 
for  sale.  In  the  summer  time  they  are  very  busy 
putting  up  food  for  winter,  and  in  the  winter 
with  their  sewing  and  weaving. 

The  mittens  they  make  are  for  workmen  and  re- 
tail for  twenty-five  cents  a  pair.  The  back  is  made 
of  blue  or  brown  denim  and  the  palm  of  light 
duck.  They  are  sold  at  the  local  stores,  as  are 
the  moccasins  made  from  the  dressed  skin  of 
the  deer  or  mountain  sheep,  the  fur  of  the  hair- 
seal,  and  moose  hide,  the  latter  being  the  most 
durable.  As  the  moose  and  mountain  sheep  are 
much  harder  to  get  than  the  deer,  the  deerskin 
moccasins  are  most  common.  They  are  both 
plain  and  fancy,  ranging  in  price  from  fifty 
cents  a  pair  to  five  dollars.  The  fancy  ones 
are  ornamented  with  beads,  and  are  fleece  or  fur 
hned. 

Blankets  are  made  of  the  wool  of  the  mountain 
sheep  and  of  squirrel  skins,  the  former  being 
known  as  Chilknc  l^lankets  because  they  originated 
with  the  Chilkat  natives,  and  are  made  chiefly  by 
them.  It  requires  great  skill,  patience,  and 
months  of  time  to  make  a  single  C'lilkat  blanket. 
It  IS  a  long  and  tedious  process  to  card  the  wool 


CHILKAT  BLANKETS  77 

It  is  painted  onVfea  d  froLXS°?o    oTtit 

ChiltrbSer^'  '''  '^^'"^'  *^«*  everto  irJ^o"^ 

hiZt^^r''"*''  represents  the  mountain  sheen-  the 
black,  the  crow,  the  patron  bird  of  the  ereat  f-rlw 

TheTMl  f  f*>-^"'-<''»«-eagle-claw  colour. 

tet  r^/c?,f -re  ?h7;  tl^^^^^^^^^ 
g^'"""  «««d  are  practically  indestructTbl'  as  noL 
but  native  dyes  are  used  in  them.  They  are  more 
ornamental  than  practical,  as  they  are  not  used 
for  covering  the  body  as  bedding,^but  originaHv 
Tnd  t^'f^'  ^'  P"*  ??  «  "l^'^f '«  dancing  costume 
dp«th  -Sv"^  °^"  "^^  ««  J'e  lay  i°  state  after' 
BtaiJon  in  I^f/'n  V  •"''l^^te  '"^'rank  and  hi^h 
poteled  them.  "^"'^  "'=''  ""'^  '^'^^-<=''«'«  °«tivi 
They  now  have  an  artistic  value  as  well  as  or- 


■i '  f 


MHaoCOPT   aiSOlUTION   TBT  CHA«T 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No.  2) 


A    APPLIED  IM^OE    Ini 

^K         1653  Eoil  Main  Strwt 

Rochwttr,  N*w  York        1460S       U5A 
(?1«)  «H2  -  0300  -  PBon. 
(716)  28a-  5989  -Fox 


78 


INDUSTRIES 


namental,  showing  what  natural  artists  some  of 
these  natives  are.  The  patterns  are  faultlessly 
woven  into  the  blanket,  entirely  by  eye,  a  feat  re- 
quiring nice  skill.  We  have  watched  the  weaver 
by  the  hour  as  she  deftly  wove  her  yarns  into 
this  artistic  fabric,  and  wondered  how  she  could 
follow  the  design  so  accurately  just  by  glancing 
at  the  pattern  on  the  board.  Wealthy  tourists  pur- 
chase these  Chilkat  blankets  as  fine  specimens  of 
native  art  and  workmanship,  using  them  to  orna- 
ment their  curio  corners. 

Squirrel  robes  were  once  plentiful,  but  now^  it 
does  not  pay  to  make  them.  From  seventy  to  a 
hundred  skins  of  the  chattering  little  fellows  are 
sewed  together  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  the 
robe  look  like  one  large  fur.  At  one  time  these 
robes  could  be  bought  for  two  dollars  apiece,  the 
amount  hardly  covering  the  cost  of  the  ammuni- 
tion used  in  killing  the  squirrels.  As  they  are 
rarely  seen  now,  they  have  advanced  largely  in 
price. 

Various  kinds  of  beadwork  are  made  for  the 
market,  and  these  help  to  swell  the  financial  re- 
ceipts of  the  women.  Moccasins,  pouches  and 
various  articles  used  in  the  dance  are  ornamented 
with  beads.  In  early  times  all  designs  were  to- 
temic,  but  now  they  are  taken  from  fashion-plates, 
catalogues,  wall-paper  and  other  places.  While 
some  of  this  work  is  really  artistic,  most  of  it  is 
poor  and  commands  little  money.  The  tourists 
buy  little  of  it,  as  their  great  hobby  is  baskets. 

Some  years  ago  the  women  were  skilled  in 
making  such-a-chew  (pottery).  Scarcely  a  trace 
of  this  art  can  now  be  found.  Like  rope-making, 
it  has  fallen  into  desuetude. 

rafc( canoe) -building,  which  at  one  time  was  a 


CANOE-BUILDING  ^g 

E^fcet:r7ir.P^f.'="''«"y  «  back  num- 
them  and  pirthem  S%\':!'*^'^\^^''  constructed 
demand,  which  waTheavy  '  """'^"^  *°  «"'*'*  the 
esf r^;«^n^^l -t,^-ab|e.    Their  ..at- 
cover  them  over  oTkeZthZ,     ^T^""""'^  "tl'er 
to  it.     If  travelJi^/Xn  f^  ^^'  "^^^P  "^^P^sed 
frequently  fill  theh?bSg-  hell'^ff ""?'  ^'^^^ 
throw  It  all  over  tI)B  ^oi^^     fi,  ^^'^  ^^t^r  and 
keep  the  canons  covered  "wit  AY°,"!''"«'  they 
bnish  or  grass  to  Sect  them     f?n^''  .^''^"^^' 
a  land  of  much  sunshine  if         ,FJ^^y  ''^ed  in 
possible  to  keep  theirca.ni    °"'''  ^"^  '''™°«t  ™- 
though  they  live  in  a  land  „?  T""^}-    ^'  i*  *«- 
they  have  a  hard  time  to  protect  S'  '"'^  '"^''' 

Some  canoes  brought  St  orT' .^'^.^'5  °'°°«>-- 
apiece.  No  matter  ^r.^?  ""^^  hundred  dollars 
out  of  a  soM  log-gt:ral[foV':!7  °°%^««  built 
adz  was  the  princiMl  tnni  ,^  "V  ^t°'^  °^'^'>'"-  The 
rude  were  the  tools  emn?Lj'^-  ^"t^*^'  ^^^  ''nd 
yet  fine  workmanship'Slle"  '^''^^  "°^««'  ^'^ 

bles  a  cie^  It  is'tTenS'J-Jl  '""^^'^  — " 
»  heated  with  hot  stones  The  w  r,,*"""  ^""^  t^is 
becomes  pliable  and  hrn-=  ^°°'l  t>us  steamed 
to  the  desired'  shape  Th;«'  ^"^  K^°  ^old  it 
workman  finishes  the  ioh^l  accomplished,  the 
ping  and  sandpaperfni  niff  ''^'PP'^'g  and  chip- 
iug,  as  dogfisrskfn  wi^used  h^''''«■^^^-P^P«^- 
Paper  was  introducerto  the  n«f  """^  """^^  '«"'^- 
eraft  with  its  beautifnl  W   ■  °**t'^es),  until  the 

The  braces  are  left  in  and"/"'"^^!''.'"  ^''^  «««• 
seats,  but  in  the  da^f  orth^p^ddlerS  ii^e^^ 


80 


INDUSTMES 


n 


was  the  bottom  of  the  craft.  This  accounts  for 
many  of  the  natives  having  misshapen  legs.  Until 
long  after  the  white  man  came,  canoes  were  pro- 
pelled entirely  with  paddles.  Gradually  oars  were 
introduced,  and  now  they  are  propelled  by  the 
combination  of  oars  and  paddle,  except  when  the 
Rail  is  brought  into  service.  Every  native  uses 
his  sail  whenever  he  can,  as  rowing  or  paddling 
is  no  pastime  with  him. 

The  women  are  as  expert  in  handling  the  canoe 
as  the  men.  They  invariably  act  as  captain,  set- 
ting in  the  stem  of  the  craft.  Though  the  little 
ship  may  have  a  rudder,  yet  the  captain  always 
has  a  paddle  in  her  hand  to  use  when  required. 
Often  the  women  travel  by  themselves,  especially 
in  the  berry  season.  Men  disdain  picking  berries, 
considering  that  the  work  of  women.  But  the 
women  are  the  most  independent  of  people  and 
so  go  off  alone  for  berries  and  also  for  cockles, 
clams,  mussels  and  other  sea  food. 

It  is  a  marvel  how  big,  heavy,  clumsy  women 
manage  getting  in  and  out  of  the  small  canoes 
without  capsizing  them.    But  they  do. 

We  are  acquainted  with  a  woman  who  one  night, 
all  alone,  sailed  a  canoe  a  distance  of  seventy 
miles  with  two  dead  people  in  it.  They  had  been 
poisoned  by  eating  mussels,  and  she  took  the  long, 
lonely  journey  in  order  to  reach  their  people. 

The  women  being  experts  with  the  paddle  and 
handy  with  the  oars,  they  are  genuine  helpmeets 
to  their  husbands  when  travelling. 

Canoes  are  of  all  sizes.  Some  will  not  carry 
more  than  two  persons,  while  others  will  carry 
forty  or  fifty.  When  nicely  ballasted,  these  will 
weather  rough  seas  and  heavy  winds. 

The  prows  of  some  are  proudly  decorated  with 


WAH-CANOES  81 

at  Sitt?  '"'P-    "  "  "•'-  '^^Pt  -th  other  refs 

sessfng  intellSencP  LJ"^  looked  upon  as%os- 

they  were  smashed  by  the  defeated  trihn  *•?"•' 
some  way  to  blame  ""eated  tribe,  as  if  m 

are'' haJd7oC'"%^^^  '^'^V'^^^  °««-  -noes 
the  natives  bv  the  ^rLTt''  ^"^  suggested  to 
duck.  S  wiWbone  nfl^T",'*^  *'^«  '"^""d 
8nowshoe;whTch  at  one  tL»ln^"f''  suggested  the 
used  by  these  people        ^  "^"^  '^'^^^'^  ""^de  and 

Every  native  in  tl,rt„„i  three  to  four  miles, 
bare  head  A^  S>n  «t  T."'  "?  '^T*  ^'^^^^'^  ^^^h 
given  the  nniwi^t    ?    \*?®  ^'g^al  *»  start  was 

ouslyi  tff  waTer'anShistnif  PP^^l  ''T'''^'- 
was  maintained  throu^W+if^'i-'"'''^  °^  ^t'^^e 

who  ,™h  p?,si%r,  ts^rsnua 


82 


INDUSTRIES 


to  a  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  These  races  will 
stand  out  in  the  memory  of  all  who  ever  saw  them, 
as  they  were  sports  of  unusual  attraction. 

As  totem  poles  are  practically  no  longer  erected, 
this  industry  is  at  an  end. 

The  Thlingets  never  had,  and  prohably  never 
will  have,  any  extensive  commercial  activities. 
The  trading  they  did  among  themselves  was  in- 
considerable. The  common  method  of  obtaining 
property  was  by  force  (war),  condemnation  pro- 
ceedings on  the  grounds  of  injury,  or  insults,  and 
entail  through  death.  The  little  trading  that  was 
carried  on  between  the  Thlingets  and  the  Sticks, 
or  Interior,  Indians  was  controlled  by  the  haughty 
Chilkats.  Even  this  traffic  ceased  years  ago,  the 
Klondike  gold  discovery  being  responsible  for  it. 

The  Interior  Indians  were  rich  in  furs  which 
were  coveted  by  the  Thlingets.  The  latter  would 
carry  prints,  blankets  and  other  articles  not  too 
difficult  to  pack,  over  the  cjast  mountain  range 
and  into  the  country  of  the  S.'icks  and  barter  them 
for  furs.  These  they  would  get  on  their  own 
terms,  as  the  Sticks  were  a  spiritless  class  and 
easily  intimidated  by  the  Thlingets.  This  traffic 
never  amounted  to  much. 

A  Takou  chief,  whose  home  was  at  Juneau,  and 
who  was  drowned  some  years  ago,  once  did  a 
thriving  business  with  a  trading  schooner.  He 
would  send  to  Portland,  Oregon,  for  two  or  three 
thousand  dollars  worth  of  goods  at  a  time.  He 
would  take  his  stock  to  various  villages  and  dis- 
pose of  it  at  a  handsome  profit.  He  was  shrewd, 
calculating  and  unscrupulous  enough  to  take  every 
advantage  possible.  He  accumulated  several 
thousand  dollars  before  his  death,  but  no  other 
native  has  conducted  a  similar  enterprise. 


THE  HYDABUHG  ENTERPRISE  8S 

herd  it  ,Sr  im  ffiT^hT"""'""! 

jpp.j;  rtir4.-?w?etir  *?•.'%-* 

beS"  altemnt/f  *"<^'^  nothing  along  this  line  has 

one  such  compan/  having  bfen  fomed  „?  K?«' 
5e'i^1n?a7 sC1r£f «  ^^f"'  ^°  *^^^'" 
success  they  mtf '  Sinc'e^T/^^l  tve  litt??^ 

training  for  them   nnri  ^ii^  *il         •»'   "^  ^°od 

much  tfey  will  n"{  £  S'.  ^^'^^  -^"  '■ot  make 

ant  the  white  man  is  everywhere  oDeratinir    TTo 

ance  it  He  puts  his  money  mto  enterprises  car- 


M 


INDUSTRIES 


ried  on  by  white  men.  But  until  his  confidence  in 
the  white  man  is  stronger  than  it  is  at  present 
he  will  not  do  this. 

We  liavc  substantial  banks  in  Alaska  where  na- 
tives might  deposit  some  of  their  earnings  and  ac- 
cumulate a  little  capital  with  which  to  engage  in 
money-making  enterprises,  but  they  will  not  avail 
themselves  of  the  opT'ortunity.  This  is  due  largely 
to  a  want  of  confidi'i.ee.  They  can  n<>ver  hope  to 
attain  to  opulence  and  plenty  until,  like  the  white 
man,  they  make  money  as  well  as  their  hands  work 
for  them.  Up  to  the  present  they  have  depended 
entirely  on  their  hands  for  means,  hence  as  to 
wealth  they  are  not  very  rich  per  capita.  There 
are  money-making  enterprises  in  their  midst. 
Their  investments  in  these  would  be  welcomed. 
And  while  they  would  stand  a  chance  of  losing, 
they  would  also  stand  a  chance  of  gaining.  But, 
lacking  confidence,  they  venture  uotbing. 


IX 


BASKETRY 

take8*trinX%^f  1  in  proportion  to  the  time  it 

glasses,  10  sotten  the  former  bv  soakinr-  nr.^ 
steaming  to  make  them  pliable  and  woSe^« 

This  bemg  so,  we  can  little  wonQ»r  that  the 
mte?es?    r.  1=  tf  °"'»."'"'«^'  ^''ke  little  or  ,30 


■ 


86 


BASKETRY 


when  these  have  pasHod  away  basket-making  will 
be  practically  at  an  end. 

The  summer  tourist  trade  in  baskets  is  very 
large,  and  wealthy  tourists  are  responsible  for  the 
prevailing  high  prices. 

There  are  baskets,  and  baskets— that  is,  there 
are  some  coarse  and  worthless  and  some  fine  and 
valuable.  Every  community  has  its  fine  and 
coarse  weavers,  its  amateurs  and  its  real  artists 
in  weaving. 

Lieutenant  0.  T.  Emmons  has  publi.slied  an  in- 
teresting work  on  native  basketry  which  every 
connoisseur  should  read.  We  think  that  he  claims 
too  much,  in  asserting  that  every  desii>n  on  a 
basket  has  special  significance.  It  is  true  that 
many  have.  It  is  no  less  true  that  some  have  been 
copied  from  patterns  seen  on  blankets,  on  wall- 
paper and  on  other  objects.  In  earlier  days  all 
designs  were  native  and  totemic,  but  this  is  not 
true  of  all  seen  to-day. 

Baskets  are  named  and  known  to  all  natives 
according  to  the  chief  design  they  bear,  their 
weave,  the  material  they  are  made  of,  their 
shape,  the  size,  or  the  use  to  which  they  are 
put. 

The  basket  with  this  design,  +I,  is  called 
kdn-nast',  meaning  the  cross;  with  this,  '▼▼T 
kluk-sha-yd-kee'ge,  meaning  half  berry;  with  this, 
•♦•  thld-kd-da-di'she,  which  is  the  name  of  the 
bat,  who  is  diamond-shape  when  his  wings  are 
stretched  out ;  with  this,  ^^  d-hdn'S,  meaning 
arrow-head;  with  this,  SSS.  Wee(blanket)-M'(m- 
kus-d-d'yd,  meaning  blanket  pattern;  with  this, 
"UTjn  tsdw{hat)-s6k-toot'ze,  meaning  dancing 
hat  pattern;  with  either  of  these  designs,  laia 
=i=5=^,  it  is  called  skd-di-yd-d'ge,  meaning  dancing 


WEAVE  AND  SHAPE  87 

basket,  ns  eitlic'  design  is  worn  on  dancinR  hats 
made  of  tiie  basket  material  ""^•ug  uais 

ivon.ha-.iced,;  (tendon  in  the  eairlo'B  claw)  io  tlio 

"rncfi t'^M '"^'  "'V,'  1  i'^''-^''  ratelu'n'nS^ 
around  it.  It  is  m  called  because  in  early  times 
his  cord  was  taken  from  the  r|,.w  of  tl  J  3 
iy  ak-i^s-k,.t  ,s  the  name  of  the  open  or  lat^fce 
work  hn,]^et ■u'oo.sUa.kagc  of  the  cloVly  woveT 
water-tight  basket;  kok-sd-hady  of  the  Ck^' 
n,u  e  with  plain  stitches  close  together^  woolt 
If-hagj/  ot  the  one  with  plain  stitches  underneath 
the  figure;  krd-at-thlcky  of  the  one  with  tbo  rin 

wi  1  fi!' '!!  V^^'^T.  ^"y-  «"<»  kdk-e-snf  of  the  one 
witl.  the  bottom  finished  in  a  certain  style. 

honk^i^T"^'  according  to  shape,  are:  too-dd- 
took  ,  the  covered  basket;  so  called  because  nf  tho 
stones  taken  from  the  craw  of  the  grouse  and  nu? 

Ine'  *r^t?Ie""'.l'''-  '''"?.  ^^^  'id^«  «"«!:'  ?h 
stones  rattle.  Stones  gathered  atywhere  elap 
cannot  be  used  for  this  purpose.  S  Is  thi 
name  of  a  large  shallow  basket  used  t'r  ca  chin« 
berries  when  they  are  shaken  from  the  bush 
which  IS  the  usual  mode  of  gathering  huckle' 
^f  t  ?;,,  W^ostd-da-kat-tzoo'  is^the  name  of  the 
inl  .^:;i  's^trX?.  ^""'^'^  "'  «*--  '^''-ofd 
The  Thiingets  originally  had  no  weights  and 
wT/2  ^Everything  sold,  or  exchanged  was 
by  the  chunk,  or  piece,  or  basket.    Hence  to  dis 

££■ 'Thrr  f  ^''^'"^^  '\'  largest  wLcaSd 
fnr^f  ■  '•  ^  next  size  ya'nah,  and  the  size  used 
for  stringing  around  the  neck  and  picking  berries 
m  and  which  when  filled  was  dumped  into  a  large 
one,  was  called  sa-kd-ton'ny  ^ 

Woosh-to-quage   is   the   name   given    to    the 


88 


BASKETRY 


M 


merely  plaia  basket  without  any  design,  and  ka- 
ge-sut'  (three  roots)  is  another  name  given  to  a 
slightly  different  basket. 

From  the  above,  the  reader  is  not  to  infer  that 
only  three  sizes  of  baskets  are  made.  Far  from 
it.  The  sizes  are  legion — from  the  capacity  of 
a  thimble  to  a  bushel  or  more.  The  sizes 
mentioned  were  more  as  gauges  of  measure- 
ment. 

Then  baskets  are  named  according  to  what  they 
are  used  for.  Kot  means  strainer  and  is  the  name 
of  the  openwork  basket  used  for  straining  oils. 
NauUh  is  the  name  of  a  basket  made  from  the 
bark  of  a  tree  and  used  as  a  gunny  sack  for  hold- 
ing potatoes. 

Baskets  are  now  made  of  all  sizes,  shapes  and 
styles.  Some  represent  tea-kettles  or  stew-pots; 
some  are  oblong  or  round,  and  flaring  from  the 
bottom  up ;  some  are  deep  and  some  are  shallow. 
Bottles  and  canes  are  beautifully  covered  with 
basket  material,  and  small  mats  and  hats,  used 
principally  in  dancing,  are  made  of  it.  Some  of 
these  are  very  expensive,  costing  as  high  as  forty 
dollars  apiece. 

Baskets  used  for  cooking  prior  to  the  advent 
of  the  iron  pot,  were  plain,  without  any  design, 
and  strongly  made. 

There  is  a  mammoth  basket  kept  at  Kluckwan 
that  is  called  the  Mother-of-baskets.  The  natives 
have  a  tradition  that  this  is  the  progenitor  of  all 
baskets.  Several  women  worked  on  it  at  the  same 
time.  No  one  is  allowed  to  make  so  large  a  one 
now. 

The  baskets  bearing  the  native  dyes  are  far 
more  valuable,  other  work  being  equal,  than  those 
that  have  the  common  diamond  dyes,  as  the  na- 


COLOURINGS  gg 

brigh&deZty  ""^^  ^-^^'-    They  remain 

that  grows  on  certain  frPo»*n°^'^  ^".'"^  «  ™oss 
from  copper  rocks  and  f-  obtained 

leaves  are  bo'S  aStHianir'^r  ^^'"^-    ^s 
green  dye.    They  get  thp  r  ^  *  ™''''^'  ^  ''"ght 

berries,  LdpuSefrUwiSr  "'^^^-^  «^ 

naS^rtrbTa  k'SlrSn'.'"'^f  ^^^  -  ^^^^t  of 
tain  lakes  ThereTs  a  hl«i'°  ^'  ^"'""  "'  «<^^- 
otheringredientrb^t  it  i,lf^^°  {^"""^  «<">*  «°d 
black  straw.  BrW  L  n)?/v"°J  *2  ^^"^  °^t"ral 
urine.  ^   "   obtained   from   strong 

are^St  cotmon  aTS^Y  "'  *^^««  "««-  ^yes 

£S:S;s-tS?"-f-"^ 

if  the  straws  are  not  n„^       them  uniform.   And 

uneven  and  bot^h^  CertaTold  w ''  '^'  ^^"''^  '« 
dexterous  in  making-  fin!,  fil  ^  T°™®^  are  very 
have  a  ckm-Ihai^^d  ^l  *"'®/  ^"*^  ^^'^^s.  They 
which  is  v7rfZirm,t^''hJ^^  '^^^  of 
fibre,  take  the  end  of  o„P^n  f^*'''^  *^?^  «P'"  the 
eleveriy  work  tho  Li      '°J^^  ™outh  while  they 

Thetri^kTs  oieSTtrfdsIt'  ^^T  «°8-- 
as  possible  without  wLwf^   '  ^^f'^  ™'fo™ 


90 


BASKETRY 


I 
I 


stoopinfj  posture  with  one  knee  down  and  the 
other  up.  Some  women  are  very  round-shoul- 
dered because  of  this  habit.  All  designs  are 
woven  in  the  basket  without  any  pattern  before 
them.  It  is  all  taken  from  the  mind  and  is  a 
marvel  of  accuracy  on  this  account.  Very  intri- 
cate designs  are  often  made,  and  yet  with  such 
precision  as  if  the  basket  had  been  stamped  with 
a  die.  This  is  the  real  marvel  in  basket-weaving. 
The  fineness  consists  in  getting  fine  fibre  and  close 
weaving,  but  working  in  the  patterns  or  designs 
is  a  matter  of  nice  mental  calculation,  accuracy  of 
vision  and  discrimination  of  just  proportions. 

The  bottom  of  the  basket  is  first  made.  When 
this  is  completed  a  piece  of  cardboard,  the  same 
size  as  the  bottom,  is  sewed  on  the  inner  side. 
This  is  done  to  stiifen  it,  that  the  upper  part  may 
be  worked  to  better  advantage.  Beside  the  weaver 
is  a  vessel  of  water  into  which  she  thrusts  her 
fingers  every  minute  or  so  while  she  is  weaving, 
to  keep  the  fibre  moist  and  pliable.  If  too  dry,  it 
does  not  work  well. 

Every  woman  is  the  vendor  of  her  own  baskets. 
On  the  arrival  of  steamers  they  take  their  stock 
in  hand  and  make  for  the  wharves.  Some  advan- 
tageous point  is  selected  so  as  to  catch  the  eye  of 
the  traveller.  There  they  sit  without  a  word  until 
spoken  to.  If  they  know  nothing  of  the  English 
they  are  handicapped,  unless  an  English-speaking 
native  is  near.  But  a  little  knowledge  of  it  en- 
ables them  to  carry  on  their  trade.  They  have 
a  uniform  price  for  their  wares,  seldom  making 
any  reduction.  They  seem  unconcerned  whether 
they  sell  their  products  or  not.  You  may  take 
them  or  leave  them.  All  is  quiet,  and  no  effort 
is  put  forth  to  induce  the  prospective  purchaser 


VENDING  BASKETS  gi 

vendor  is  there  to  do  bSs/'      '  °'''"'  *=""» 

sii^o^^l'ztTSa  ^n^r"^''^'^  ^-- 
along  the  passaKswavfm?  '^°°**°  squatting 
steamer  with  ?heir  w«L=  ^  leaves  or  boards  thi 
work,  carvings  etc  «n-  «"c\as  baskets,  bead- 
sidewalk  o? /round     ^    ^  °"*  *"  ^'^^  «"  tbe 

it  tL've?ihemio'r.*r'^,"J*'^  *•"«  ^^^ri^t^- 


■n      ■  !■{; 


H 


■:     .«■• 


TRAITS 

O^^nf  J*''?  "P"!*  ^^onspicuons  traits  of  the 
Sf  'f-.'^dependence.  What  he  wants 
to  do  he  will  do,  as  a  rule.    He  lives  for  thp 

Z?W  '  rf  •f""^"^  **•«  ^''"^'  °f  the  hour,  no 
matter  what  it  may  cost  him.  If  a-iven  his  ehoip^ 
whether  to  accept  five  dollars  at  once  or  fiX 
thi    r/  ^1^\*''°'!L«'i^'°"»l'  reasonably  cerlan 

S  tliri^  ^Tu  *^I  ***5^  •^°"«"'  he  would  ac 
cept  the  five,  and  be  done  with  it.  The  NOW  an 
peals  to  him.  No  job,  however  lucrative,  holds' 
him  If  he  wants  a  holiday,  or  a  lay-off  to  hnnt 
or  even  to  loaf.  Becanse'^f  this  tr^ait,  he  is  un-' 
reliable  as  an  employe.  Without  a  moment's  no- 
t^ce  he  will  throw  up  his  job  and  leave;  and  U 

needed.  But  he  cares  neither  about  the  incon- 
venience he  may  make  his  employer  nor  the  loss 
that  falls  upon  himself.    A  white  man  thinks 

trol  hfm  '  """"^  *^*°  ^'  °^«<^«'  co'i- 

«[«,  ^'  J'*,''™  '*  '"  *  «P«"e8  of  slavery,  and  the 

Ik  for  ^th/"''''*  °^  1'  ^.^^?S^'  i"  hi«  estimation 
It  IS  for  this  reason  that  the  people  make  poor 
and  unreliable  servants.  The  native  girl  XI 
hu-ed  as  a  domestic  servant  does  not  stay  long 
She  wants  her  own  way,  to  go  off  and  return  when 

QO 


VANITY  jj 

Vanity  is  another  Thlinffet  trnif    tj,«,„ 

wear  its  caps  and  uniforms  wl  Ir,  ®^  "^^ 
chief  who  changed  his  rWh '  ^^  ''°,°T  «  certain 
the  transient  tourist  »tf!    '  '^''^''^  "™^s  ^h'le 

prf;j,^"tX*T  "'1°  *""^  "■"  ->" 

with  .n  axe  in  ,  A,f  ^  Hoe  c.no,,  deooli.bed 
.love,  „"„;.?  hornXST"  °J  *•"'■•  >"■'»>. 

i^'teks?^tt™"£t''°'~^^^^ 

Touchiness,  or  sensitiveness,  is  another  con- 


94 


TRAITS 


'!;  ?  '4 


, 


ofc"'  k""  "'  *''^-  ^''""Sret-  He  often  takes 
offence  when  none  is  intended.  He  is  very  sensi- 
tive to  slights  innuendoes,  rebukes,  blaie,  cen- 
sure,  shame  and  ndicule. 

He  takes  offence  if  he  is  asked  to  do  the  sliitht- 
est  service  for  one  whom  he  regards  as  of  a  lower 
caste  than  himself,  or  to  perform  any  seTrice 
without  compensation,  if  his  proffered  mft  is  re- 
tused,  or  if  one  objects  to  any  of  his  food. 
i.  T'  "u^"^  sympathy,  you  say  to  a  widow,  "  It 
is  too  bad  you  lost  your  husband,"  she  takes  of- 
lence.  She  regards  it  as  an  insinuation  that  she 
poisoned  him,  or  did  something  to  kill  him 

But  the  most  cutting  thing  of  all  to  a  Thlinget 
IS  to  be  laughed  at  or  ridiculed.    He  fairly  bums 

(heart)  for  days  and  days,  and  if  the  offender 
the^offe^ ^       '^  sometimes  compelled  to  pay  for 

White  people  who  are  not  familiar  with  the 
ways  of  the  natives  may  very  innocently  offend 
them.  Ir  deed  their  warmest  white  friends  have 
not  infrequently  done  this. 

They  are  very  sensitive  to  insults,  and  demand 
apologies,  with  payment  for  their  wounded  feel- 
i^^^"  ,^™f  «"y  a  feast  is  given  and  the  offence 
atoned  for  by  a  proper  money  payment.  One  man 
saw  another  encroaching  on  what  he  considered 
his  fishing  ground  He  went  to  the  trespasser, 
seized  his  gaff  and  broke  it  in  pieces.  This  was 
a  grave  insult  to  the  man  who  owned  the  gaff- 
hook,  but  he  did  not  then  resent  it.  His  tribe 
however,  took  it  up,  and  in  due  time  proper 

tr  o&Tparry^'''  ""'  '  '"^^  ^'^''''  *° 
A  certain  chief  was  highly  indignant  because 


IDEAS  OF  DISGRACE  AND  SHAME       95 

fused  to  attend^becaS^ff-^^^  absolutely  re- 
His,  too.  would  have  been  thfr"''f^''^««<l»e«e. 

^f\^'tTeltTliL^^^  '^l^  to 

an  injury  must  be  atoned  for  L"''^'''-    ^"•''' 
consideration,  and  it  is  a^i„~.  ^/ .^'«  ™°ney 
pne  and  his  tribe  if  thev  do  w'^  *°-*^^  '"•'"«d 
mjury  has  been  paid  for  Von  ?«"'«' '"'til  the 
tives  receiving  such  ininrio=     °'"'^'?*''"y  ^11  na- 
perpetrator  aid  hi«  tX     V?*''*''  '«*  "P  <»>  th^ 
tlement  has  been  effeSrn "  satisfactory  se^ 
their    characteristicr  A   .r^iT*^"*^  '«  °°«  o' 
debtor  until  the  Snnost  S?'   ?"""««    J^« 
does  the  injured  fSe  1  fo*^^,^  "  ?"''''  "«' 
clamour  until  he  has  had  L  ,T''  °*"L  ^'^^''e  to 

personal  property  than  h"^"        ^•■-  """"^ 

both  hands  full  of  sTlter  Ln?'"'  '?"'^  ""*  ^tli 
to  the  crowd  that  was  w«?^v^y  ^^  scattered  it 


96 


TRAITS 


As  soon  as  the  wronged  woman  infonned  her  hua- 
bnml.  he  sought  revenge  by  heaping  a  greate? 
.Sin^'-r.*^*  T°  *•"'  ^^^^  the  insult, Sm- 

of  hU  1"  ^^  ?"'!l"»  "  P"»'"«  ^o^ifi^e  of  some 
of  his  slaves.  As  the  man  wlio  offered  the  insult 
had  no  slaves  to  sacrifice,  he  was  thus  put  to  ever- 
astmg  shame  So  now  when  natives  quarrdit 
s  a  common  thing  for  one  to  say  to  the  other 
n    '"*  "P'    yo"  might  be  like  Mitkeen,"  that  is' 

have  nothing  to  destroy  in  order  to  get  even         ' 
lo  be  called  a  slave,  or  a  witch,  is  a  shame  to 

any  native,  and  sometimes  leads  to  bloodshed     I? 

IS  a  groat  shame  to  any  native  if  one  sneaka  onr> 

temptuouslv  of  his  grandmother      T  fere  isTo" 

Tl  i  'rlv  '"/"'  """•«  ""''''"y  ^««^nt  than  thL 
Hie  Ihlingets  are  revengeful.  An  iniurv  is 
never  forgotten  or  forgiven  with  most  of  them 
until  in  some  way  they  have  had  revenge.  An 
eye  for  an  eye,  and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth,  has  been 
and  still  IS,  an  established  principle  with  them.  It 
rZ.v  -n"^  ^^^°/^  they  strike  back,  but  they 
surely  will  some  day.  The  Sitkans  waited  yearl 
to  avenge  the  massacre  of  their  men  by  the 

a^H''?ifr","''*V?'-    ^"Vh«  ^^7  of  "venge  came, 
and  the  slaughter  was  fearful. 

Jealousy  is  another  of  their  traits.  On  mere 
suspicion  wives  have  been  cruelly  beaten  and  dis- 
figured lor  life  by  their  husbands.  Women  are 
sometimes  fearfully  jealous  of  each  other.  When 
so,  each  tries  to  disfigure  the  other 

The  Thlingets  are  very  crafty.  They  resort  to 
all  sorts  of  schemes  by  which  to  get  money  or 
property  for  themselves.  Matters  that  were  sup- 
posed settled  years  ago  are  raked  up  and  made 
the  basis  for  a  money  claim.  They  will  force  some 
insignificant  and  undesirable  present  on  another. 


CHAPTY  AND  POLITIC  97 

in  '  etJn"!'  ^sTm'/TS?  ''■  **"  ^i™-  -  "'-'• 

-?d  after  the  CraPSr   atTvronL"r  •'^"''/ 
give  ten  t  men  na  m.,„i.  •        .        "'  *"®  deceased 

Burd  claims  are  '„,Xfo?rI"™-  I^"  ">««'  "»>■ 
owned  an  interesHn  «  w^i.  °  •''•  ^  """^e  who 
hounded  tW  raonev  bv  «  tf"^'"*  old  mine  was 
that  she  and  hTpeLx  .^JhT^"'."?  ^''^  «''°»nd 
near  the  gold  mine  '^An^ff  *°  ''*'' '°  .">e  stream 
amanpafinKhTsom™  \'^°'°''"  '"^'^ted  on 
she  pra^d  (srshe  daimp.Jf^.^'T'*'  "'  "'"'  time 
ent  of  the  Tra"nW  fenf  /?V*'t-*"P^"°'«"d. 

the  school.     °     u?«red  thi/lt    ''^  *•'"  ?'«'"  '"to 
prayer  that  the  sister  tpu  /.J    ^-^^  "^'"^  *»  her 

education  was'  t?erefo?e    d„e"i^"h''"'^  't  *^-''« 
reason  she  claimed  fwVi.    1  ^<^her.    For  this 

her  some  money  °"'"'''  '^""''^  P«y 

tTeirTfe=XS;^'"=i?" 

heis''^y:;a?f(t '^oolr  "'"^^'^  *°  '^''• 

ing'^to'rlTa^heTeSLr^ist'"^' '^"^^ 
terest  or  not.    The  DDhHn  tl  1    **'*  Personal  in- 

him.  Cunning  «id  fi it  a™  f\,°'^t*  "PP^«'«  *» 
considered  cfmmendaWe  %V^»f''t  smart  and 
man  has  to  beTwJ^ %  ^  .*™''^'  ^^^  ^hite 
Thlinget  ^'"^  *°  ""t^t  the  average 

contrarTheMSed"  ?'"r"^  "«*'-  «-  the 
a  spendthrift  Tf  1^^  °  extravagance  and  to  be 
of  CrdS*buf  t5^3t«r«. 't  is  not  for  the  love 

due  time,  at  a  feast     A»  »  ^  ^'J^  ^''^  "''"•e-  in 
,  81  a  teast.    As  a  rule,  he  spends  freely 


98 


TRAITS 


trL    Z  ''"'*'  ^''*^'."«  •"  the  Epicurean  doc- 
i'LTlin   '"■*'"'"'  gratification  of  fleshly  desirof 
thi8  rt  n.ot%h«  "    •"'*  °'  "'«  """^^  mind     In 
aren.     llie>  make  a  bargain  and  close  tlie  deal 

^rSeTac?in7  ''"''''u''  '*■«  ""rgain  decant  tt 
irade  back  and  generally  manage  to  do  go     The 

native  may  be  your  friend  to-day  and  your  worat 

BliX^earonr  H   «\ ^''-K^^  ^ia  mi/d  forTe.^ 
siigui  reasons.    He  lacks,  as  a  rule,  anv  sensB  nf 

fcfn'"  ^''^'"'^  *"  "^'^  P™'"!*^*   contracts  or 
bargains.    You  may  befriend  him  all  you  nlease 

he  wfll^°"  "'I*".*?  '"'"'  "  "^o"*  him  in  anythfng' 
"One  fairly  wearies,"  writes  a  government 

thev  will  1        •  T'<;y  «an.''e  so  successfully  and 
they  will  go  against  the  missionary  and  the  gov 
ernment  teacher  and  all  who  are  trying  to  ^eln 
f,?^"!!''"*!.''"'"'  r^  '^'H  «*«"<!  by The^one  who 
furnishes  them  the  intoxicants-and  why?  Be 
cause  they  want  to  seek  it  yet  again  ''     ^ 

strlthfe  ?f  ,/°°"°^*'  ^°  ^l  «*°"*J  «"J  "ndemon- 
!^  .u"  *^^  presence  of  white  strangers  but 
among  themselves  they  ara  loquacious  jfve?y'  and 

coitrol  oTr-*^  ^i^''*''*-  T?«y  have'wond^erful 
f H?wJ.  u^'^n  !«ehngL  If  taken  to  New  York 
City,  though  filled  with  wonder  at  the  sights  thev 
would  mam  ain  as  much  indifference  aV if  they 

chndrir^o  thfV^/'-  ^^  ^t^'  ^«'^«°  ThliS 
cniioren  to  the  States  and  when  we  arrived  at 

Seattle,  have  looked  for  some  expressions  of  snr 
pnse  and  wonder  on  their  faces.^  Bu  no  change' 
Amotion      •  °"'  '*'"'''  ^^  ^'«<=°^«'-  *he  slighted 


FORTITUDE  AND  AfTECTION  90 

pain  without  a  Kroan  h  J^f L  ^"  ?'*"  '"  ''«'"• 
twcen  their  teetl  to  hi  J^  **"?."  P""  "  «"''''  ^■ 
taught  to  bear  bodfly  airhrn^T"  '=SI['^'«''  "■•« 
aaw  an  old  won.an  wa^'CeSt  t^the  ^.7"'' J 
wade  into  the  water  up  to  her  knees  wifhfl^""'^ 
ice  a  1  around  hpr  ■,<.♦;„♦         "nees  with  floatmjr 

with  bar^cofd  feetfnd  mShm'^S?"'  '?''*  •>"  "««' 
moment  the  theri^om«f  Ji  °  °":  ^""^  «*  '*'«  ^e^y 
above  zero    '"^"""""^t"  '^as  only  seven  degrees 

J?h^WutTfs?5.eSrr  ^^^-''-^  ^«"J 
times  is  their  grief  th,  Thtv  fi,  ''"'^^a"'  at 
into  the  Are    t^r  o„f  fL-  ^  ■'"°"'  themselves 

ThutXeciallftZ  o^"''"  ^o'  onfanother. 
If  any  member  of  thlflr'?"''  '!°*^  '''"'•'••«''• 

have  been  slnt  to  Ln?f    l-^  P^^'P'"    ^^n  vrho 

have  soon  led  aft^r  fw '^'"'  '°  ^''^  »*«*«« 
oiea  alter  their  incarceration.    No 


100 


TRAITS 


SKn^"'  ''"^  ^  «°'"»<^«  ^y  himself.  like  a 

f„lYn?^»,f^  ^^^'^  have  sunny  dispositions  and  are 
full  of  humour  and  wit.    Among  themselves  thpv 

remarks^'^W  ^r^"?'  l«"«l^i"«  a^d  making  f,SnJ 
remarks  We  have  been  with  them  in  camp  and 
m  their  homes,  have  frequently  been  at  thdr  st^ 
cials,  and  can  truly  say  that  never  have  ^eseet 
a  people,  as  a  class,  take  life  so  happ^revince 
more  humour  and  bubble  over  more  with  laughter 
They  are  excessively  fond  of  all  kinds  of  amuse: 
™e°ts  In  their  socials  they  play  all  kinds  of 
games  that  provoke  laughter/ They  are  ve^U 
ch  Idrp^-  "^  ^^^.^P'^B  and  mockersr^a^e 

'^ikin^off'''JLr^'-T^  '^''Y  ^'•eat  «™  in 
_   taKing  off     the  fastidious  and  inquisitive  tour 

of\Ti^L7:^t' '"'-'''''  ««ituL^*rd%r; 

P.,Tu^*®  P^°,P'^.  ^""^  ^ery  observant,  though  vou 
sZf  'n'?''?^-  <letect  them  when  they  are  makbg 
some  of  their  most  critical  observations  A 
from 'head  ff f'^.and  they  know  what  he  has  ot 
w^  *°  ^?-°^:  .H'«  complexion,  facial  fea- 

tures, any  peculiarities  about  him,  rigs  chains 
m  short,  everything  about  him  is  E  T  jl 
native  girl  was  assaulted  by  a  white  man  Tht 
struggle  to  escape  him,  whic^  walsucce^sful,  ^t 
^^li  a  "noment,  yet  in  that  moment  of  time 
and  though  she  was  labouring  under  excitement' 
she  noted  him  so  well  that  there  was  no  trouble 
m  identifymg  him  She  even  described  a  ring  he 
wore.   It  was  the  first  time  she  had  ever  seen^the 

They  are  also  extremely  clever  in  reading  hu- 
Tv.  ^*"''?  ^"^  ""^^  fluent  in  speech.  They  are 
never  at  a  loss  to  express  themselves.   In  priyer- 


FLUENCY  OF  SPEECH 


101 

pression^that  S  f'uS/^^^r  f  ^T'  °^.^^- 
well  envy.  Amon^  tiVil  '**  speakers  might 
orators  In  th^rZ^^Z^!  'T'-^^  "^^^  «ble 
that  a  woman  has  aTvPllT.      ^*  *5  proverbial 

holds  good  ^tUhe'Sytrmer  m^«  '"^'^ 
relhng,  as  thev  dn  nil  +£  *  ^•.  "^*''i  ^nar- 
of  lanUage  is  vprt  ^'•?qnently,  their  flow 

deUcatf^  "^^"^  surpnsmg-and  none  too 

is  o£  t^'^'K'J?  S:^'  ^"^^  *''«''•  rhetoric 
they  beat  about  thT  bush  ^n  '°'""'?  *°  ^^^  P°i°t 
Ss.^*^  --  -Sr=roTt£?a-: 

a  habutf 'aTtXn1rTtT*'^"^t^^  *^^^  1^«- 
they  seem  to  be  awf  not  to  A^."?,!  *™''  ^""^  ^^^ 
and  able  to  distinZLh  wh«t  ^  i"'u  ""^  ''""^'^e'- 
have  heard  six  or^ore  «l]  iT''  -^^  '''•^-  ^e 
citement  and  iabberin^  «wi  ^«'"'""°«  "^nder  ex- 
a  clear  knowle'dge  o?  w^haTal^'th^'lr*  ^^''^  had 

They  are  not  bloodThir  ty  Sr  L  fr'.'.'^"^• 
WMfiSpSA^BH^- 
PeoS  yeTmanfof  th?™  ^  ""^^^'^  ^'^'^  "^  this 
«raL'  ^iTavJetidis'of  ffr.1,"^''  '""'^ 

P4erh:mlo^^^i;t?^S^^^^^ 

worth  forty-tut  hZ  Lr^v^thrS 


loa 


TRAITS 


the  better  .duStroS      ,j*?u'',''!  "y  "■" 
■"  th?,T„?  "?"  J*  "«';»wl«'ise<i  th.1  th°" 


I   ■   li 


l;i 


XI 

FOOD 

A^SPh*^^  *"•  ?""««*«  «^e  in  a  counts 

and  sun.     After  thoTr  =ro  +1,  ? ,  "^  *"®  ^"d 

103 


104 


FOOD 


•1    i : 


purposes,  as  tL^Ll'' ^:,X^TfA-^.f 

edLTf  thi^  Wnl^       P'""-'^''*  ^'■"^  *lie  sharper 
wf  M  ^  °'*'°®  'I*  «  row  two  or  three  fpet  Inno- 

a  small  canoe  m  this  manner     Vh^  i,„    • 

fofrl'^q^*^  ^''^'  °^^'  «'«  important  staples  of 
ex?ent  ^^Z^^^r  °»  '?  i?ed,  but  not  to  any^eat 


OOLIKAN  105 

Thif  :.    ''  ',''  I""«""l>>-  the  butter  of",  Stf. 
?E^?r' Vu"  '"•■I  """"I  Ming  oiriE 


106 


FOOD 


an  interesting  sleht  whpn  ff'''™',?^  grounds  are 
these   infiSiS'  I^g^  Sr  "f.'  "'  ^IJ?^ 

ground  and  left  there  for  davs  nnHl  ti,*^^ 
become  good  and  ripe  Thev  «rf  ^  K^^^^ 
out  and,  without  arn-  f^^^u^  f?  ^^^^  ^^^^^ 
with  the  zTst  wHh  7hich  i  huZ°'''"^'.^^^°'^'^ 
devour  a  piece  of  nnS„  •  ^  '^'''''1°  ^""Id 
this  delectaWe  dii  ™P^  P'®"    ^^^  "'^our  from 

w«aic,  IS  tame  indeed  as  compared  with  that 


DELICACIES  lo-y 

h"S.  'Xnill'l  tut?'  '^"-"^-I'a'^ed  fish 
that  of  the  o^&  scraTs  be°trr°'  l^^'^'l'' 
penetrating  and  durabl^f  ^«  i*  U  }^^^  ^"-     So 

which  the/werVStd';  aSl'^'stm'"'  '^ 
forth  a  smell  which   whZ  i/  f  ■,  ^°,  **'''  send 

makes  a  n.an  int,fttS  y^!eVcK'a^H'  "°^'"'^' 
Ills  nose.     No  slanD-hw  v.„  P  ^""^  ^'ompi'ess 

can  tun.  out  an  odouf^aj  tfthel,^"'  ''"'''^ 
Most  Americnna  ^i!!:  u^       "  *"^  oohkan  giound. 

will  wi^'Siles  ouS°  f Tp'^"'  ^"^.^  ^'»ff  "f  i 
avoid  the  grounds  where  Ihir/^  '^.""'"^  »>«'  *» 
ooHia«  is  treated  fonts  oil       ""^""^"""^  "«le 

sa£?n!l^°£Tea1  tlT^  °Al''^  V^P^^^* 
are  frequently  ea?en  raw     Bnf  if  •*'  ';':J""  ^^l"' 

a  long  t^^e^ago  cSoked  fhpV'  '"''^  *'"'*  *^«  «™^. 

Wflfa  ^^KMte'ra  'r''  -du^rr^Tw  fish, 
oysters  or '■  live  "cLr    v'^Tu*'^  '^^^  ««*  ™w 

»» ., ..,  See  ;'.7S^SSE  l'te.?S 

»ol  In  md,  qmifK  .,  '^,  J.k    T  ■"*•.  '■" 


108 


FOOD 


fioult  to  kill  than  any  other  animal,  as  they  browse 
.l»»nd«i  rtlh  ,h.„  „„,  „,„  J^'^  f"  »«» 

bother  with  picking  and  dressing  them 
«J^iuI'  '"i?'''^^'  ""ssels  and  crabs  are  plentiful 
and  the  natives  are  fond  of  them  all^CciaUy 
of  a  big  rock  barnacle  known  as  "gum-boot" 
2Z.!J"  r '•  ""I?  ''"«''«1  <»•  "lore  ofTckS  or 

?^Trit^s•e^"aSsS^&r^ 

f  ate  VAJeT  tnron-\!f  SS 
boiled  clams  will  like  them  ^ 

nT,^'"™  ^"j'/oussels  are  both  boiled  and  roasted 
The  small-sized  scuttle    or  tlovii    «„!,  • 


BERHIES  ,09 

season.  There  are  fon, ,.,«  ^  ^°  .*°  "'^^'e  every 
berries,  two  of  salmlw-  ^''""  '  «*"  tuckl^ 
and  thr^  of  curmnts  ?h'.n'l°  °^  ^'•'"'berries 
berries,  raspberries  thi,r,Kit°  *^"^  "'^  "t'^w- 
and  others  '  '^""bleberries,  soap-berries 

Both  men  and  wom^;  J^l^  '*..**  ''«^*  as  foam 
i'ieir  hands,  thei7skevP«rnR  *»•«««  b^^ies  with 
the  hand  beinTburiSTnthi  "^  "P,*°  *^^  «'*«'^8. 
is  swished  a °o1in"bSw -Hnf '"^'"*  '"^^^  ««  " 
one  tires  at  the  iob  3hL'°/°u*  '"•^«'»-  When 
Thus  they  keen  it  un„^tn-<.^  *"H^  *  *•"""  «*  it- 
a  dozen  lit  aTound7  bol  nf '"'"'^y.**' «**•  Half 
helping  himself  ^th  a  «r     '  soap-berries,  each 


110 


FOOD 


t?r7.nT^  t""',^  rice  which  is  bulbous  in  its  na- 
ture  and  taken  from  the  ground.  A  popular  na- 
tive vegetable  which  grows  wild  iVydnAu 
(celery).    This  matures  in  May,  and  is  gathered 

without  sal  .  We  have  seen  women  and  ch  Idren 
with  their  laps  full  of  it,  eating  away  unti    the 

oa^anHirr"^'^-    1""'^  P^«'  the  "^.uter  skin 
off  and  eat  the  inner  stem  of  the  plant,  which 
resembles  the  pumpkin  stalk. 
Another  article  of  diet  is  the  white,  or  inner 

hp?nr.°'h*-'  ^°?*^  'P^'"'^  *'•«''•  This' is  cooked 
before  being  eaten.     They  use  the  gum  of  the 

spruce  tree  for  chewing,  as  well  as  tHnported 
gum  One  stick  often  does  service  for  several 
members  of  the  family.  several 

v,2T  tw^^"  '^°l\  P"?"'*'"  vegetables  is  sea- 
weed. This  resembles  the  cabbage  leaf,  but  is 
finer,  when  taken  from  the  sea.  There  s  much 
labour  connected  with  curing  it.  It  is  soreS  ?n 
the  sun  and  just  before  it  is  thoroughly  dry  it  S 

othe^^tirfi"^  ""rf '•"  i^''  "^  ^^'  S«e  o7some 
other  shellfish.    It  is  then  put  into  a  five-gallon 

riThir'^  ^''''"^  ^°*?  fl'^-'^  ««kes  about  ^ 
inch  thick.     To  accomplish  this  a  layer  of  seT 

Ihe  twigs  separate  the  layers  of  seaweed  and 
give  it  a  flavour  that  the  natives  Uke  The  Sn 
IS  thus  filled  to  the  top  and  then  a  he^vy  weigM 
18  put  on  the  whole  to  make  the  desired  cakes 
Every  day  when  the  sun  shines  it     Tarefnllv 

harden"  T^"*^  '^^^  '"^^'  *^P°««^  *"  *^'  «°n  » 
harden.    When  the  sun  goes  down  it  is  carefully 

Hnn'o  ir^^-f  ^''"-  '^^'^  »«  repeated  for  a  long 
Ir^li^  r-^  •  ''  ''^'■°P"'''y  "'"'•^d;  when  finished 
It  will  retam  its  sweetness  for  months.    The^kes 


WHITE  MAN'S  FOOD 


before  it  is  eatZ     But  f h?  "*  ",'"'*  °'  ^'"''J. 

break  it  oflF  tlie  cakes  anVlf  ^Hl'  "^^^  '»  '<> 

The  inner  bark  of  tl?ph.^  't  without  cooking. 

much   in   the  7am«  in  ''^'"'°«''  «  treated  very 

pressed  iuSUrforTutSr:„re  "Cs"'^'   "tl 
before  eating.  ^®'    •'•'"8  is  cooked 

no^L^liSd  wJKu^°Pt^^^"?^^«'  ••»»  "e 
fond  of  sweets  ^    '  "^  *''''  ""^'^es  ar^  very 

fewer  who  can  do  anythTn^wifhA  *'°°'^  T''«'  ""^ 
pastrj.  cooking.  Stewinl  lii  k°  m- '°  *^^  ""«  «' 
prncrpalways^fcooWn/  Not  m«^?  ""  *''^''- 
with  ovens,  and  but  liffit  k  1°  ™?°y  ^^^^  stoves 
they  have  ^Z  hSiV  niLn^'^'S^u'"  '^°"«'  "or  do 
things  usual!ffound  in  thp^?r ''""''; ^'>''  ^^her 
"^iheaverag^  white  woi  '"''"'"^  department 

wy^iSr  crki'^^^;«c:  1"^-  ^^  ^--'^- 

entirely  cooked  and  se^ed  It  r,«V'^''^  *"  ™''«1« 
would  appeal  to  the  llZf.JX^^'''^  ^°™«'>  that 
We  have  sat  dowi.  to  h«n  ^  l^^  ?"•«'  fastidious, 
where  every  hin™ann  J  •''  ^'''^°  ^^  "stives 
At  some  of  these  bMmfp^f"'?u"°'^  ^"^  served, 
were  seated  shoSthnf'^r^  *^^"  *^«  '"'"dred 
When  willing  ttx'VTthemselv:^  '''••'  ^^^^  capable 

JfhoTsretTaii  *s  tTS:  ^°-- «- 

meals.  ^"a'  'O  preparing  good 

them'"a?:^^'oeerSTand!!.r^^/'  *^^*  -««'  "^ 
notthefacilitfesfoffannvf^  tfP^'^l^^  ^^^y  have 
Bisters  have.  ^  *^°^"«  *hat  their  white 


xn 

EXTINCT  CUSTOMS 

MANY  of  the  customs  of  the  Thlirgets,  while 
tlioy  strike  the  average  ci\  .lized  man  as 
mn=f  J^'i"  '  '."'?JF'"<'"s  or  cruel^  are  common  to 
Tfi  ".u  """vihzed  and  semi-civilized  tribes 
01  the  earth. 

In  treating  of  these,  we  will  divide  them  into 
three  clas.ses-tho  obsolete,  those  about  to  become 
80,  and  those  that  are  yet  in  full  sway 

Hnrin^tf  '^"^  "  Popu'sr  occupatiou  of  the  nations 
dunng  the  age  of  Alexander  the  Great,  so  it  once 
v^as  with  our  native  Alaskans.  Indeed,  at  one 
time  It  was  their  chief  occupation,  carried  on  for 
spoils,  for  the  love  of  excitement  and  for  revenee. 
The  warrior's  accoutrements  were  then  the  most 
cherished  of  the  Thlingefs  possess'  u.  In  timl 
ot  peace  he  was  largely  engaged  iu  making  im- 
plements of  war. 

The  boldest  and  most  formidable  of  all  the 
Thhnget  tribes  were  the  Chilkats  of  the  north. 
Ihe  fiercest  warriors  of  the  country  were  the 

tSm  l^-t  /'•«1"en"y  made  war  on  the 
Thhngets.  Tribute  was  exacted  from  the  wp".ker 
tribes  of  the  Thhngets  by  the  stronger  o  les. 
iivery  tribe  had  to  be  in  a  continual  state  of  de- 
fence and  preparation  for  war,  as  they  knew  not 
the  hour  when  they  would  be  surprised  by  some 
hostile  tribe.  In  some  of  these  encounters  there 
were  terrible  butcheries.    Those  who  escaped  the 

118 


PRISONERS  OP  WAR  1,3 

whlrtT„ri'r£ "%»'-/"'  -"-.  ^y 

treac)iory  and  nmlii.Hl,  'n/  Tn>ri»o,  cunning, 
warfare  than  open  vaiurPH  "'"'^^^^'^  tl.ef; 
either  killed  or'^helda«"  laves  Tr'  "^  ^■"''  ^"^ 
spots  in  the  country  where  nri..  '"'  'J""  "'•"''"'n 
taken  to  be  killed ^Tlieir  1,'  n.  '"''■'  "^  ''"'  ^^'''^ 
put  in  a  heap  Children  „\en  ^'""^  ™'  "^  ""d 
decapitated.  The  fem^  n  ?H ?  '°  ''"'■  ^^'"'•e  not 
a  ma'nner  too  revoltbgt  meSion  ""''  ''''"'  '" 
heSrs^a^s  'ffilrF  -0  reserved  and 

ss^^£----th-ra 

Thlingetf  aUactd"R°usSC\r  "'/''««''«'  ".e 
of  these  attacks  have -nn  5  ««"  ^nients.  Several 
bly  the  massacre  of  th^eR,  ^"^'^ '"'°  '"^'ory,  nota- 
'802,  the  attack  led  hvtl-/"""'  "t^^'*"^"  '"  ^""6, 
in  the  ear  y  part  of  tl  -f  ^-"^T  '^''"'«"  «*  Si'ka 
massacre  at  YakuLt  n  ^in?'"™* '  '^^^'O'.  the 
conflicts.  ^'"'"tat  in  1805,  and  other  minor 

BevetT  Stt^rbetTeertr  1°°  '''■'''  ^^^^  ^een 
tives.    At  least  two  n?  /i      ^^^ncans  and  na- 


114 


EXTINCT  CUSTOMS 


Year's  day  1869,  and  the  other  at  Wran<rell  on 
Christmas  night,  1869  wrangeii  on 

th^Thlfnif^*  '*''i''i?  °^  ^"  between  tribes  of 
ine  ihlingets  was  delivered  in  i«>^i      J,""''»  "'■ 

The  Wrangellites  were  lured  to  Sitkn     TTn^n,. 

mwmm 

r^r„offiin?et^^re4?f'iS^ 

Th^rhat-herLirinSi^^^^ 


JEALOUS  FEUDS  115 

not  lack  the  spirit  to  avenge  their  wrontrs  and  H« 


118 


EXTINCT  CUSTOMS 


al  lh«  bolt™  ofliS  7,CK™'""'",u  "  •" 

None  but  the  high-caste   hL^   ''"'®''  ^^''^s. 

to  hold  slaves    and  Tf  V T'"''^'''  ^^""^  allowed 

oWse^jhTlaS'st^SLtaeTs"'  ^  «  -«er 

These  wretched  men  and  women  were  the  con- 


TKEv,  MEjjT  OP  SLAVES 


117 


stant  vi 

mai'^b?t?n  '=°°'P«"'^d  ^ot  only  to  wait  on  his 

command  and  exceedmiflv  carpfiil  tn  „;„„  Vi,  • 


118 


EXTINCT  CUSTOMS 


Same,"  w5terifir°  T  ^'^^'^  ""^  ^««t 
out  the  sha^e  This  2,  ^IT  """  ^^^  *"  ^ipe 
portant  he  was  '^""'^'^  ^°^  """^  and  im- 

He  lived  at  KluckS  n  ll"'*"  f  .*>  ^hilkats^ 

lage.  His  ma/e  sfaves'Uved  inTf,*^  "^'^  ^'^'«°  ^^'- 
of  his  and  his  female  Ii!.,       ■  ^°"'^™ ''°e  side 

body  out  from  the  shore     wC*"'^  )^^.  "f«'««« 
tance  from  the  shore  ft  .Y^"  "^  sufficient  dis- 

'°?LT^Vr  °°" '^'fi^'-  "'  "'  '"'  '^^ 

-to;tieX':rL°iitr%T/;:'-^«  thrown 

corded  thehonour  of  h^rt^'^  /  ^"^  "^^^r  ac- 
was  their  lotTdeal^™,!  Z  \S    '^"""'-^^ 

eve',:r4r?t^tS?o?^;\"-^"^^-  «™I 
When  a  slave  drosseJ  H  '  °!  *^'?  manumissions, 
the  heirlooms  of  hfs  tribe  T'*'^  ^"f  l*^^  '^^'"'e  in 
times  through  mere  vaStv  „. Tif '  '"*  ^'■""-  ^ome- 
ffiven  their  libwty  Th/  ^n  f^  "^"jh^y  were 
talked  of  as  a  greTi  J^'  ""'''''  ^<>"'d  t^en  be 

his  dauXr  th^r^hL'"??  ^'"'  '"t''^'^  l°-«  for 
he  was  so  happy  haft"  'f/^''"  ^''.^^  *«  ^  «o° 
So  while  ZpoorilalllT^^^^''^'^^^'^^'"'- 
that  he  might  be  Idlled  IL  ^  >n  constant  fear 
hope  that  he  mfght  be  Lven  Y'  t?"^^^^  also 
hope,  doubtless,  kVt  uJTrZ  SlLi'S/air.^n;! 


CREMATION  ng 

led  him  to  be  cautious  and  servile  when   without 

tr?f™/--^^^^ 

Bentlia^H  I    ^^r"^  P""°"«  "^<=s,  but  by  the 
gentle  and  peaceable  means  of  the  Gospel 

At  one  time  cremation  was  the  universal  wiv 
of  disposing  of  the  dead,  except  of  the  boZs 
of  slaves,  which  were  thrown  into  the  water  and 
the  remains  of  shamans,  which  were  embnlmprl 
and  deposited  in  deadhou'ses.  The  univeS  ™s 
torn  now  IS  to  bury  the  dead.  ""^^er.ai  cus- 

f,,!!      °l°^'^i  "^^^^  cremated  the  ashes  were  care- 
fully gathered  and  placed  in  a  box   and  the  W 

ThfJ^Z^T'l"^  '"  «  deadhouse  '  Hundreds  of 
out  IS  ^'^^^''TS  ^^y  yet  be  seen  through 
out  Alaska.   Deposited  with  the  box  of  ashes  were 
many  possessions  of  the  deceased,  such  as  c  oth 
mg  blankets  tools,  food,  water  and  other  thngs 
These  were  for  his  use  in  the  spirit-land  ^ 

According  to  the  belief  of  the  natives  bumina- 

and  co^fn' f".f  '^^  ^P^"*  °f  '^'  deceased  aTari? 
and  comfortable  place  in  the  spirit-land  As  na^ 
tives  are  seldom  uncomfortable  from  heat  in  thk 
hfe,  but  often  suffer  from  the  cold,  they  dread 

a  seafne^r  fh^'V"?  'I",!^  "^^  '^'  beat.'^H  nee 
a  seat  near  the  fire  is  the  seat  of  honour  and 
pleasure.  In  the  future  life  their  concern  is  to 
avoid  the  cold  and  to  procure  a  seat  near  fte  fire 
If  burned,  the  spirits  of  the  other  world  detect 
It,  and,  seeing  that  the  dead  has  been  us^   o  the 

Th^'chiernf  •''?■'  ^''"^-  ^'  "^^^  ^'  comfortable 
thJdead  w„«  iT •"'?  ^f ■''^'*  "^*'^«  cremation  of 
the  dead  was  their  barbarous  incantations  about 


120 


EXTINCT  CUSTOMS 


•'i 


thfs  w»!?i  P'"'*-    ?°*  ""f  ''^""I'J  remember  that 
this  was  an  expression  of  their  grief.    No  neoDle 

Joved  ones  than  the  natives  of  Alaska.    We  have 

SSst^trt^lSs.*'^-"  ^'^^^  -'^'^  -'^  ^^' 
.    While  there  may  be  one  or  more  cases  of  exist- 
ing polygamy  to-day,  yet  it  may  be  truy  said  that 
fn  at  «fl  r-  '• ''  ^  *,''i?^  °^  ""^  P««t-    If  indulged 

and  life  of  \V^  '"°'?*'°i'  "^  ^^'  P"''"«  sentimint 
ana  Jite  of  to-day.    In  former  years  it  was  com 
monly  practised.    All  early  writers  abouTthe  n^- 

of  'L  w*''*""°"y,'°  ""^  f'-^^t-  «°d  the  testimony 
of  .he  natives  corroborates  the  statements  of  the 

we  feeTii^;fifr-'  ",  '^  ■"''  •^°"^«''  """"tenanced! 
r™«  ii  ^'^*/°  *''^'''"«  '*  ^s  obsolete,  though 
a  case  now  and  then  may  be  found.  ^ 

the  nL7"l*?J?^''^?T^  P?'*"^^^^  '«  "0^  a  thing  of 
the  past.  In  the  wmter  time,  in  the  extreme  cold 
weather,  men  and  boys  would  go  down  to  the 

A'nJir^'f^^'^'  J^'"'?  i"t°  the  ice-cold  water 
After  floundering  around  in  the  water,  they  would 
jump  out  and  roll  in  the  snow.  They  would  then 
switch  tneir  nude  bodies,  or  have  somrcne  do  H 
for  them    unt  1  the  blo^id  would  alT  but  break 

Srinffro,^  T'  ^^l^f'''''  ^^^«  ^'"''<i  "^turally 
t„  n^J^       •?  HV"^  ''™^'  treatment,  were  compelled 

n  fl  ^'^i!*-  Youngsters  were  treated  in  t Ws  way 
to  teach  them  endurance  and  make  them  brave 

It  was  often  practised  by  their  elders  from  a 
spirit  of  vanity.  One  who  was  with  us  for  Xht 
years  as  interpreter,  used  to  tell  us  how  his  unde 
(he  was  an  orphan)  compelled  him  when  a  S 
child  to  suffer  this  cruel  treatment.  The  author 
has  seen  youth  and  young  men,  with  apa^r  of 
drawers  as  their  only  garment,  go  into  the  woods 


INFANTICIDE  m 

It  was  done  of  ?.n  l!  f      ^'"^  '''""^l  treatment. 

with  Sen'  uSinf  ?L°'  rr •  ^"t 

powers  of  enduranST  then  Ll^   ^'^^-  ^''^^^ 

Sre^-  wLt  thV  ti\^e:LftpUt 
wWcfKnenS'obn'^?  *''^''.  ""^^  P-««-« 

"wiih*'^^^^^- ^^^^^   or  ^'"''^^^  ^p- 

fanddiVb'rret^th  L^d  Uf  t?.  "^^^^^  ''  - 
of  wedlockryet  as  a  onstor  f  ^^'^^''''  ^°™  «!>* 
When  prevalent  no  L?f°   A^^^  P^^^ed  away. 

puwicW  t°4rs^ToSrsedt  irioT^  •"■ 

The  common  metlmri  %,#**•        .■'•o-day  it  is. 

death  wasT«tuf&'mCt*hTJlll!^  ''^'^^  *« 
grass.  This  was  dono  w  ^""^"^  with  moss  or 
tives  of  the  iTther  R«Lr'""'°'  ^f^^^'aHy  rela- 
to  the  woodsTo  be'pntKeVh!"  ""^"^  '^'"'^^ 

eus^or IXrha'rtcIn^^atV' ^'^^'ir-^ 
principles  of  truth  Totemir  i!?„^  enlightened 
ia  the  body  and  nativt^Ti  ^^'^i"?  '^^''^  ^o^^ed 
tures  and^abrasions  of  the  skT'lilV^'  ^^^^ 

T^r*  ^^^^^'^^Z  *°  -bmitSihhVres's  '""'^ 
Tattooing  was  done  more  from  vanUy  S  any- 


liifc: 


ISS 


EXTINCT  CUSTOMS 


thing  else.  It  gratified  their  love  of  adornment 
and  their  boaHt  of  endurance.  The  Thlinget  who 
could  not  endure  bodily  pain  and  suflfering  without 
flinching  and  without  a  groan  was  despised. 

Gambling,  a  vice  which  is  still  prevalent  with 
the  white  people,  and  one  which  had  a  tremendous 
hold  on  the  natives  some  years  ago,  is  now  a  back 
number.  This  used  to  absorb  most  of  thjir  time 
and  most  of  their  means.  In  some  instances  they 
gambled  away  their  wives  and  even  themselves. 
When  the  latter  was  done  they  became  the  slave 
ot  the  one  who  won.  More  than  once  the  writer 
has  seen  circles  of  native  gamblers  seated  on  the 
beach  m  the  open,  gambling  for  the  stakes  shining 
within  the  rmg.  It  was  curious  to  hear  their 
'^i^ll  ®™S™S  ^°<^  see  them  beating  with  sticks 
at  the  same  time  on  a  pole  running  horizontally 
between  the  players.  This  was  done  to  divert  the 
attention  of  the  players  on  the  opposite  side  while 
the  gambling  peg  was  dexterously  thrust  under 
the  moss  m  the  ring. 

Was  it  the  Wolf,  the  Bear,  the  Salmon,  the  Keet, 
the  ihagle,  the  Crow,  etc.,  which  was  slipped  under 
the  moss?  This  was  the  problem.  All  eyes  had 
been  eagerly  watchmg,  but  who  can  tell?  After 
some  deliberation  the  fatal  guess  was  made.  If 
correct,  the  side  of  the  winning  party  sent  up  a 
shout  of  victory  that  was  heard  throughout  the 
village.  If  the  one  guessing  failed,  then  there  was 
high  glee  for  the  opposite  side. 
_  The  native  gambling  pegs  were  about  five 
inches  long  and  three-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diam- 
eter. They  were  of  uniform  size,  highly  polished, 
and  each  was  marked  differently.  There  were 
usually  seventy-two  in  a  pack.  These  pegs  were 
fine  specimens  of  native  art.    They  were  all  hand- 


GAMBLING  PEGS  igg 

^machk?e^F„"n/'"'  '"^'^  P.ffect  as  if  turned  by 
fivTco  mi;«  nn5  was  prettily  decorated  with  na- 
nve  colours,  and  each  was  named,  takinir   as  a 

MuneSr^iut.  tort  SlZ,','' ,  1^  "  "»■• 

mm0m 

favour        correctly  would  count  so  much  in^Ms 

ci,«rS.'' w'i!f/v.^'"'  ^r  ''■''y^d  with  two  prin- 
cealed  n  tlieT.^n.1  ''T  «>'ort,enough  to  be  con- 
Ono  ^f  ?i     f      °"!  ""^  "  number  of  plain  sticks 

^^pi^olpli^,^^  a/a^,  when  th 

stictlnn'l'^  *"  ^''^  ^^'"^^  hand  held  the  camd 
Sde  too?  nnT^T-H  "  h  S^-^^^^d  correctly  his 
eonntPr?  if  .♦?  °f.«'e  plain  sticks,  known  as  a 
tW  =J'  If  otherwise,  his  side  lost  one.  The  side 
that  succeeded  in  getting  all  of  the  other  side'I 


IS4 


EXTINCT  CUSTOMS 


counters  first  won  the  game  and  took  the  stakes. 
Other  games  of  lesser  interest  were  played,  but 
were  not  so  popular  as  the  above-mentioned 
games.  In  fact,  the  passion  for  gambling,  which 
once  burned  so  fiercely  in  the  native's  breast,  was 
completely  subdufcd  by  the  influence  of  the  Gospel. 
The  gambling  habit  has  long  since  passed  away 
and  the  old  gambling  devices  are  seldom  seen. 


xin 

WANING  CUSTOMS 

W\^!h  ft'iTpl'^'.f 'f ''*^  ''"«*°'"»  to  those 
Z.f\u  }  ®'".*'  ''"t  """e  waning.    Witch- 

as  compared  with  the  number  ?hat  once  thriveJ 

SK^^KSheStSsSF 

E  o7d*  s^L^'^  ^^'  '^^^"^  togethrr^^cSgYo' 

match ;  sometimes  marriages  are  arranged  accord 
ngr  to  the  request  of  the  dying,  sometimes  th« 

thev  win^ofr        fi^  ^l'  '="'t'"°«  and  marry  as 
wey  will.    Girls  seldom  have  any  choice  in  tL,V 

own  marriage  but  act  in  obedienc"^  to  the  dktates 
of  their  relatives  and  the  rules  of  the  people 

126  f     f    • 


1S6 


WANING  CUSTOMS 


Often  thoy  do  not  boo  the  men  w)io  are  designed 
to  become  their  husbands  until  they  are  wedded 
to  them.  There  is  no  such  thing  as  courtship.  If 
a  young  girl  received  the  attentions  of  a  young 
man  as  our  girls  do,  it  would  shock  the  natives 
beyond  measure,  and  would  be  considered  a  terri- 
ble disgrace.  Every  girl  ia  carefully  watched  and 
restrained  from  making  any  ajiproachcs  to 
men.  Their  law  of  modesty  requires  that  no 
girl  shall  speak  to  a  man,  not  even  to  her  own 
brother. 

When  a  young  man  makes  his  own  selection  of 
a  girl  or  woman  for  a  wife,  he  makes  known  his 
desire  to  his  mother,  or  to  a  maternal  aunt  if  he 
has  no  mother,  or  perhaps  to  his  sister.  He  does 
not  approach  his  sister  directly  but  through  her 
husband.  Then  are  no  old  maids  among  the  na- 
tives, nor  do  widows  long  remain  such.  '^'  '-  con- 
sidei-ed  a  disgrace  for  a  girl  to  romam  many 
months  without  being  married  after  she  becomes 
a  woman.  Rarely  do  they  wait  at  all.  So  sisters 
of  age  usually  have  husbands,  and  their  brothers 
use  these  husbands  as  mediums  of  approach  when 
they  wish  any  favour  from  their  sisters  who  have 
attained  womanhood. 

Having  made  known  his  desire  to  any  one  of 
these  close  relatives,  that  relative  reveals  the  fact 
to  the  other  close  relatives.  If  they  approve  of 
his  choice,  they  interview  the  girl's  people  to  get 
their  consent.  The  girl  is  not  consulted  at  all. 
If  they  are  high-caste  people  there  is  a  great  deal 
of  palavering  about  it  before  it  comes  to  an  issue. 
The  youth's  relatives  (and  only  those  of  his 
mother's  totem  are  considered  such,  his  father 
and  his  father's  people  having  nothing  to  do  with 
it)  set  forth  as  strongly  as  they  know  how  his 


■niE  DOWRV  ,^ 

the  young  man  is  broTlf/  tJ  0.  ""^^  ??'"'"''^'  """» 

•t  .  P"'«to"  of  Ih.  drf  b.K'.r'J."  5^»  ""• 
1.™  of  ,h„  co.tra.l  'iii^t  ",'  ''•£"? '"8  '?'- 

sold,  and  ffpnprnil,r  ;=  1?  ™.°''®  "'"  ""ion 

on  the  S-PsBTde^for  If^.  '^''"^''  especially 
or  should  run  aw,!;  frLi  ^''f  PJ"''^'  unfaithful 

a  dowry,  or  its  eauivalinT  rri^  ■  i-^  ^^^^  ^s 
encourage  and  advk^  tT^  '  "/  u"'''°^'  *''*""  '« 
to  standWr  htba'nf  ^"'  *°  ^«  ^«"W"1  ""d 

cou"tabTe'\^^r^^ff  J;;«  t't'  '^  '«  r*  ''^''l  - 
or  nothing  is  donTabouHt     Tf"  P'^P^.^^^d  little 

settles  it..  '^"^P«'»P'e-   But  usually  their  refusal 


1S8 


WANING  CUSTOMS 


The  greatest  barriers  to  marriages  are  differ- 
ences in  caste  and  intriguing  relatives.  No 
Thlinget  parent  wants  his  son  or  daughter  to 
marry  one  of  a  lower  caste,  nor  do  relatives  ap- 
prove of  it.  They  oppose  this  with  all  of  their 
energy,  and  such  opposition  frequently  stands  in 
the  way  of  a  man  who  wishes  to  marry  a  girl. 
Kelatives  who  have  planned  to  marry  the  girl  to 
some  one  else  also  block  many  a  man's  matri- 
monial ambition. 

The  relatives  of  the  girl  are  very  desirous,  as 
a  rule,  to  marry  her  to  some  one  on  the  father's 
side  of  the  family.  It  may  be  an  uncle,  a  cousin, 
or  a  grandfather.  The  same  principle  holds  true 
with  the  relatives  of  the  young  man,  who  seek  to 
marry  him  to  some  girl  or  woman  who  is  a  near 
relative  of  his  on  the  father's  side.  It  may  be 
his  cousin,  or  aunt,  or  grandmother.  Such  mar- 
riages are  not  only  considered  very  proper  among 
the  natives,  but  they  more  heartily  desire  them 
than  marriages  of  any  other  connection.  In  choos- 
ing a  husband  for  a  girl,  relatives  consider  the 
young  man's  accomplishments  and  his  family  con- 
nections. The  man's  relatives,  in  choosing  for 
him,  prefer  a  girl  or  woman  who  is  modest,  in- 
dustrious and  has  some  accomplishments  as  a 
basket-maker,  bead-worker,  seamstress  and  house- 
keeper. 

A  dying  wife  sometimes  requests  that  her  hus- 
band marry  a  certain,  girl  or  woman  after  she  is 
gone.  The  motive  prompting  such  a  request  is 
usually  the  desire  to  keep  her  personal  effects 
within  her  own  family,  the  native  custom  being 
for  the  relatives  of  the  survivor  to  appropriate  all 
of  the  deceased's  belongings,  whether  husband  or 
wife. 


LEVIRATE  MARRIAGES  i^q 

relative  of  his  must  m«vi  f^'  -^  **•?  .°^^*  "'osest 
the  other  hand.^nL  wffp  rjt.'^i^'^  ^'?  ^^^^  O^ 
deceased,  or  a  close  r^«Hvo  ''  ^^'f^^  «^*^^  «'  t^e 
sumvi„ansbandfor  a *^^^ '°5,ttf  ^^^^ 

a-;isra^nh«°^^^^^^^^ 
tjeVhiL^Xc'i^XXr^^^^^^^ 

SeTartL?etT--  "  '"i-inS^^^^^  ?o' 
spects  Mween  Z  -"  '•^'^°°  ^°'^  ^  other  re- 
peoples ;  for  exam«l^irft?V°'*°'"'  °*  *he  two 

ceased  hu'sl^rt'tkrh"^'  '?^P'^«^  «f  *e  de- 
nephew  bei'r^oSiietdte^Slst*';.!:!^^'  *?« 
a  man  next  f^  h;^  u-^i^         .  /"barest  relation  to 

the  dec^a^  d  wi  :  5o  mar'n^fhr  '?.'  '^'  '"'^''^  "^ 
niece  is  the  n.ares  re7ati^  the  widower,  as  the 
her  sister.  relative  of  a  woman  next  to 

In  levirate  marriages  no  presents  are  passed 


r 


11! 


ISO 


WANING  CUSTOMS 


from  the  man's  people  to  the  people  of  the  woman 
he  takes  to  wife,  for  this  is  only  making  good  his 


The  surviving  husband  has  the  right  even  to 
select  a  married  sister  of  his  deceased  wife.  If 
this  is  done^  she  must  leave  her  husband  and  be- 
come the  widower's  wife.  Or  the  widow  has  the 
right  to  select  even  a  married  brother  of  her  de- 
ceased husband.  And  if  this  is  done,  the  husband 
must  leave  his  wife  and  children  and  become  the 
widow's  husband.  The  writer  is  acquainted  with 
more  cases  than  one  of  this  kind.  A  man  in  our 
community  was  suddenly  killed.  His  widow  se- 
lected one  of  his  married  brothers  who  at  the  time 
was  hvmg  at  Sitka.  He  promptly  left  his  wife 
and  children  and  came  to  live  with  his  brother's 
mfe,  and  they  are  now  living  happily  together. 
If  a  brother  should  refuse  to  take  to  wife  his  de- 
ceased brother's  widow  he  would  be  disgraced 
among  his  people. 

If  the  brother  selected  by  a  widow  is  an  old 
man,  a  boy  is  also  given  to  her  to  be  her  husband 
when  the  old  man  dies.  This  system  makes  some 
very  pecuhar  matches.  We  see  old  men  married 
to  girls  yet  in  their  teens,  and  old,  wrinkled-faced 
women  married  to  mere  boys. 

Little  need  be  said  about  those  who  take  mar- 
riage into  their  own  hands  in  defiance  of  all  cus- 
tom. They  simply  elect  to  live  together  and  do 
so,  facing  the  scorn  of  their  people. 

Child  marriages  are  by  no  means  uncommon. 
Boys  and  g^rls  are  mated  by  their  relatives,  and 
infants  and  mere  children  are  sometimes  prom- 
ised in  marriage. 

But  few  marriages  are  love-matches,  but  cases 
of  pure  love  are  not  altogether  wanting.    We 


LOVE-MATCHES  m 

W  fr.  <.■  f^®  promise  that  he  could  have 
her  at  a  certain  time.  The  girl  loved  him  Tht 
parents  wanted  her  to  marfy  another  m^n    «" 

from  tta?;? .t™  ;.**"«"'  >tad.rt  of  b«,ly 

at  home  and  never  to  speak  or  Innt  o*  »  ' 
To  test  a  girl's  modestyThen  she  caL  fromTe"; 
''  FireTyrir°'"l?T*'  '^^  -""uSThont 

mE\^Sabi::rfr°'''*  "'"^  *^^*  «^«  -^^i^ 

of^SSr^'-SSJr^^til^s 

m  earher  times  was  punished  with  death  is  that 

fo.To??iTpX;,r "  """■• »'  ''^  °™ 


i3ie 


WANING  CUSTOMS 


Another  rule  closely  observed  is  that  no  girl 
shall  in  any  wise  propose  marriage  to  a  man.  If 
she  did  she  would  be  held  in  everlasting  disgrace. 
Nor  can  any  young  man  approach  a  girl  on  the 
subject.  As  we  have  already  said,  relatives  ar- 
range matrimonial  matters. 

In  former  years  men  and  women  commonly  took 
each  other  on  trial.  If,  after  having  lived  to- 
gether for  some  weeks  or  months,  they  found  that 
they  liked  each  other  and  were  satisfied  to  live  to- 
gether permanently,  then,  by  a  mutual  understand- 
ing, they  became  husband  and  wife  for  good.  Only 
a  few  years  ago  we  found  a  man  and  woman  living 
together  in  this  style.  Wher  asked  if  they  were 
married,  he  said  no,  but  that  they  were  just  living 
together  with  the  view  of  marrying  providing 
they  liked  each  other.  We  did  not  hesitate  to  tell 
them  that  they  were  not  living  right  according  to 
the  white  man's  standard  of  morality. 

The  old  custom  of  Thlinget  marriage  is,  as  we 
have  said,  waning,  and  to-day  the  Christian  mar- 
riage ceremony  is  largely  invoked.  The  author 
has  performed  the  Christian  ceremony  for  scores 
of  them. 

Many  white  men  have  taken  native  women  for 
wives  and  in  most  instances  have  married  them 
according  to  law.  Some  of  these  marriages  have 
been  very  happy,  while  others  have  been  anything 
but  happy.  Half-breed  children  are  very  common 
in  Alaska,  many  being  legitimate. 

Not  a  few  are  now  holding  on  to  the  property 
when  either  the  husband  or  the  wife  dies.  In 
nearly  every  instance,  however,  they  have  to  fight 
for  it,  as  the  relatives  of  the  deceased  claim  it. 
The  writer  has  more  than  once  been  called  upon 
to  protect  property  rights  for  the  widow  or  the 


CONFINING  AT  WOMANHOOD 


I 


stripped  eutheWntth-  "'^P^ianed  children  are 
thro^;^  on  S:'^o^5  chari7v '^f '^  l^^''*^  «°«J  then 
times  they  fare  all  ri/h^  K/f''*'^^^-  ^ome- 
suffer  fro^  ms\ZiXhXZT''''''  *^«^ 

toms  of  the  past  '^°°"^  "'  "''«  "^  the  eus: 

of^o^finb'/g^T/;™^ -a«-^.cnstoms  i«  that 

in  some  crimped  tZ  .tjPfT'^hiag  womanhood 

Mie  jail  is  built  bWhi  ho,?  ''''\,y'"«"y  this 
entrance  made  in  the, idp.f?v.'\'^'th  a  hole  for 

primitive  in  nature  ^nl    *^^  'i""'^"    't  is  very 
even  of  boughs    "4°^  flf  T^^  ^'^^s  or 
writer,  girls  were  confinpH  I     %  ''°?'^"  to  the 
of  the  house,  which  was  r*     Pjt  ""der  the  floor 
All  light  is  excCpd  2L  f  *f  ^"^  hy  a  trapdoor, 
throuih  cracks  andf  h?n?P,^  t^^^.  ""^^  ^^  "s  way 
In  these  ifttL  dunlonrinVv'  ^*'°'"  ^^en  opened^ 
tr  stand  in  nor  ]o1fgT^"°i£^  f°»gh  for  them 
out  in,  girls  are  cnr,fi;  "i^    for  them  to  stretch 
months  t^  one  year     Whl^^r'''^^  ^'"""^  f"""- 
are  fairlv  bleached  a«,^v.      ^^"   """^^  ""t  they 
they  ever  live  to  m^    the  great   /onder  is  that 
are  usually  ^rty  and  dZl '*  -l'"     ^^^e  places 
ventilation;  and  thefriJ^f.'''  ^thout  light  and 
means  of  exercise  andT^*^'  ^""^  ^^^Prived  of  all 
Happily  this  custom  w\l°  !  7"^  '™'ted  diet, 
has  not  the  unSi  Sav  thJn^'^^  f't'^'^' 
not  a  few  native  girkw1f„     ^  ^K""""^  had,  and 

to-day  are  stra:g^efs";o%t''oral  '"  "™''"''*' 
This  practice  advertises  to  the  community  tl  at 


f*,  .* "f' 


1S4 


WANING  CUSTOMS 


the  girl  so  confined  is  of  marriageable  age  and  will 
soon  be  ready  for  matrimonial  orders.  Indeed 
she  18  not  long  out  of  her  little  pen  before  she  is 
a  bride.  In  most  cases  she  is  spoken  for  before 
she  leaves  her  solitary  confinement,  and  she  steps 
ont  of  her  little  prison  only  to  step  into  matri- 
^"^'^..iT.^®  Thlingets  may  not  go  all  the  way  with 
Josh  Billmgs  who  says, "  Marry  early  and  often," 
but  they  do  go  at  least  half-way  with  him ;  for  they 
beheve  m  eariy  marriages.  For  them,  I  am  in- 
clined to  think  that  this  is  good  policy.  Their 
young  people  settle  down,  and  their  girls  have  a 
protector  before  they  go  astray  and  fall  down. 


XI7 

PEESENT-DAY  CUSTOMS 

last  to'piy^rr'^-    '*  ^''  P-bablyrtf 
irift^andThi^''"''  "  ^^^^  <^l'^°°k  tern,  for  free 

hcahon,  for  sociability.    So  deaimna  «f  *      *• 
ft'a'ffor J  \\"*  ^°'"^*''"^«  they  wdcoTe  a'derth"! 

and  then  hZ7eS:eS,t^S^^^^^^ 

to  be  greatly  disappointed  and  to  rLret  th^r 

^es-aie-r  ^^^-'^-  «  ^-o"  X 

whtt£^-r-Snns-s.%?'s^*^^^^^^^ 

18S 


IS6 


PRESENT-DAY  CUSTOMS 


omitted,  as  it  would  be  regarded  as  a  woeful  lack 
of  respect  to  the  dead  and  would  bring  severe  re- 
proach on  the  family. 

Besides  honouring  the  dead,  the  festival  has  a 
superstitious  significance.  It  is  believed  that  in 
some  way  it  actually  benefits  the  dead.  For  this 
reason,  while  the  feasting  is  in  progress  food  is 
thrown  into  the  fire,  and  the  name  of  the  dead  in 
whose  honour  the  feast  is  held  is  called  out.  The 
fire-spirit  in  some  way  conveys  the  food  to  him  in 
the  spirit-land.  If  the  feast  were  omitted,  or  a 
pooi-  feast  given,  the  spirit  of  the  dead  would  feel 
badly  about  it  and  reproach  relatives  so  remiss  in 
their  duty.  If  a  good  feast  is  given,  then  the  souls 
abiding  in  the  spirit-land  will  treat  the  departed 
one  with  all  due  respect,  as  they  observe  how  he 
IS  regarded  by  his  people  left  behind. 

At  this  feast  all  obligations  incurred  in  the  cre- 
mation or  burial  of  the  dead  are  met  and  extrava- 
gantly paid  for.  .The  higher  the  rank  or  caste  of 
the  deceased,  the  more  is  paid  for  every  service. 
The  natives  dre  not  satisfied  unless  much  money 
18  spent,  but  everything  done  for  the  dead  is  by 
those  of  another  totem  than  that  of  the  deceased. 
The  slightest  service  must  be  well  paid  for,  and 
anything  given  must  be  returned  in  value  several 
fold.  These  are  obligations  which  no  Thlinget 
would  think  of  disregarding,  as  he  would  be  put 
to  everlasting  shama. 

The  size  and  expense  of  the  feast  depends  alto- 
gether upon  the  standing  and  family  connections 
of  the  deceased.  If  one  of  importance  and  a  high 
caste  dies,  nothing  short  of  a  great  feast  will  do. 
Every  member  of  the  tribe  of  the  deceased  con- 
tributes what  he  can  toward  it,  and  there  is  no 
giving  grudgingly,  but  cheerfully. 


COMMEMORATIVE  FEASTS 


187 


The  guests  of  the  feast  must  be  those  of  a  dif- 
ferent totem  from  that  of  the  ones  giving  the 
feast.  Members  of  the  totem  belonging  to  those 
giving  the  feast  may  attend  and  look  on,  but  thev 
cannot  receive  anything. 

A  feast  is  usually  held  immediately  after  the 
death  of  a  person,  but  not  always.  Death  may 
occur  when  it  is  inconvenient  for  the  friends  of 
the  deceased  to  give  one  at  once.  They  may  be 
too  poor  or  it  may  be  in  the  summer  time  when 
the  people  are  scattered.  But  as  soon  as  the  rela- 
tives ot  the  dead  can  accumulate  the  means  and 
the  people  are  back  in  the  village,  then  the  cele- 
bration in  honour  of  the  memory  of  the  dead  must 
be  given. 

Frequently  a  light  feast  is  given  by  the  fam- 
ily right  after  the  obsequies,  and  in  due  time  a 
big  one  follows. 

After  a  period  of  two  or  more  years  another 
feast  may  be  given  m  honour  of  the  same  person. 
Ibis  IS  the  commemorative  feast,  and  to  all  in- 
tents and  purposes  is  the  same  as  the  other 

As  soon  as  convenient  after  the  burial  (or  cre- 
mation) of  the  body  a  grave  fence  (formerly  a 
deadhouse)  is  erected.  This  event  calls  for  a 
least,  given  pnmarily  to  pay  off  those  who  had 
any  hand  m  erecting  it.  In  course  of  time  a  suita- 
ble monument  IS  set  up  in  memory  of  the  dead. 
This  again  calls  for  a  feast,  at  which  those  who 
assisted  in  settmg  it  up  are  paid  for  their  services. 
_  Ihe  completion  of  certain  masks  used  by  chiefs 
m  dancing,  the  building  of  a  canoe,  the  erection 
of  a  totem,  and  of  a  house,  calls  for  a  feast,  the 
primary  purpose  being  to  pay  those  who  did  the 
work. 

These  items  are  tribal  property,  and  all  tribal 


188 


PHESENT-DAY  CUSTOMS 


c        /' 


OTHER  FEASTS  igg 

r«i!!f»?i!f  "I®  sometimeg  given  to  whilo«.ash  a  dlg- 

>eT£K"r„*rv  "  "  "l"".'^'"'  disgraced  IHm- 
IVL^t  \^^^^J'^  •"*  P'^'l'le.  'le  may  give  a  gen- 
erous feast,  and  no  one  after  that  is  allowed  tn 

QhTinra'fL'^"'  ^'^^^  ^'«  dishonourable  cTnduct*^ 

Tk  nnt  ?«1l^''''l°^'''K\'•«  «^'''.  knowing  that 
th»  fo.=f  talked  about  as  he  was  before  he %ave 
the  feast,  as  that  put  a  quietus  on  gossip.       ^ 

™oi      u^  °^  ^  "•*•«''  shaman  or  very  hich-castG 

n  attended  hi  ::''^  '"'•««  '''^  expeLTf^ast 
pLii^V^  ^^  ■™™',  ^°'"«"  and  children.  Gen- 
erally the  room  m  which  it  is  held  is  one  solfd 
mass  of  humanity.  In  some  feasts  they  squat  on 
tolM^'.i,"'  '""""^  ^'""I'^-  There  is^one  farge 
mavhnii  *  gj-oup,  generally  a  wash-bowl,  whifh 
may  hold  anything  in  tho  nature  of  liquid  food  a 
hZ'i^'  ^'r  T"**'  °^  ^'^-    All  in  the  SiiP 

i»nb  L  f}.'  '^"  •"^''^^'^  ««'k  and  carry  it  home 
Such  18  the  generosity  at  these  feasts  that  The 
pests  cannot  begin  to  consume  all  the  food  that 

kettles  ^      "^  ^''™®  ^  t^"""  bowls  or 


140 


PRESENT-DAY  CUSTOMS 


vi8bnr'"-Jf'*^  the. people  are  seated  in  di- 
visions, xhis  IS  especiaUy  true  when  dan^ino.  io 
held  in  connection  .rith  them.    Cw  tfir  pfo^ 

he^ha^h./d  th^tes^SrpSrote^rZS 

£^t?ari-s^ji«^^^^^^^ 

who  partake  of  the  feast     The  Thlin,,;? - 

St  tion  leads  him  to  b^Le  thlt'^ttTlre  Tany 

Many  white  people  are  not  far  behind  Wm  t 

4%vrara\o«.%;?fe,^^ 
aS"ftaTrciey?d^^  £  F^  T 

S  ^''^  V'^  «  «"'« toreSrat^ifme'sTakii^ 
aSt  ^'"''•^  """^  is  intended.    ThU  has  foe* 
qnently  been  the  case  in  religious  services  con 
ducted  by  missionaries.    On  one  occasK  l^^I 
native  got  up  in  the  midst  of  a  See  and  iS? 

J^fvf^p-l^'  "^^""^^^  because  the  preacher  read 
m  the  Bible  about  the  "  lame  and  t^e  halt  "   H^ 

TetsS  !t^'  ^"^""-  *°  ""Sty  i! 
ficSon^°T?,i'^  ''  *^r°  P"marily  for  self-glori- 

X>  Jtrm"  Fo^&Tnrhtd^^^ 
=^t^^-/rcxrtSl 
iJi^SKJ^ataSsi^H 


AMOUNT  GIVEN  AWAY  !« 

iZ^^"f  !r"  **•  *^^  «^tent  of  denying  himself 
as  bS*^  L*''"  necessities  of  life,  that^e  may  S 
as  big  a  one  as  possible.  The  merabera  of  {,;= 
family  contribute  their  quota  and^ndure  the  nri 

to  which  they  are  invited.  ^     ^' 

♦1,5 r^     *  ^"^  dancing  are  important  features  of 
the  eveni  and  are  never  omitted.  "^tures  of 

Invitations  to  .  ttend  a  potlatch  are  sent  hv 

JthV^^'^?"  giving  the  potlatch  belongs.    Those 
ot  the  great  man's  totem  may  attend   hut  ti?o^ 

a:£s."  ■"*'""»»"  siKis 

Im  tadnd  or  mot,  in  nnaber,  areShSf  S 
tl»y  .ppwaoh  „  Cei,  oa„e,.   I^l.g,  S  from 


142 


PRESENT-DAY  CUSTOMS 


"4 


mmi' 


shore     Rp?„r    '*^™  "^  r^J^  "«""«  ^^^  on  the 

the  stranf  7h/  '"°'!?  °^  ^^^  ^^PP^^  A^^*  touches 
tne  strand,  they  are  drawn  up  in  peaceful  array 

Af.^^f,.'^'''"*^"  *>*  ^^'""""^  f™m  the  grea    chief 
After  the  response  from  the  spokesmai  of  the  k 
coming  guests,  they  all  draw  to  the  shore  and  thdr 
hospitable  friends  receive  them  to  their  homes    ' 
.   i*  or  the  next  week  or  ten  days  thiuKs  are  mov 

Z  V^^'  ^"''^^-  ^^"^  ^"^y^^^  nifht  feasTng 
and  dancing  engage  and  thrill  the  merry-makers 
The  great  tribal  heirlooms  are  brought  Zt  and 
totemic  emblems  are  profusely  r'ilplayed  on 
paraphernalia  of  every  description.  Paces  are 
nainted  with  stripes  betokening"^  the  totem  of  ?he 
mdmdual  wearing  them.  Now  we  see  a  Crow 
now  an  Eagle,  now  a  Bear,  now  a  Frog  Whit 
gorgeous  costumes  some  wear!  What  ludicrous 
ones  have  others!  Here  comes  a  bear!  But  no • 
It  IS  only  a  man  in  a  bear's  skin.  Look  at  that 
mammoth  crow !    But  it  is  not  a  real  crow    It  is 

do leful'^M'^'Tr  ^^r^  ""^^  *«  represent  the 
S^fi  •    f         ^h^  .'^""'  monotonous  beat  of  the 
drum  IS  frequently  heard-the  only  obiect  resem 
bhng  a  musical  instrument  used  in  the  potlatch  • 
doleful  as  it  is,  it  excites  the  natives  who^hear  it' 
The  communal  house  where  the  great  potlatch  is 
given  IS  thronged  and  is  the  scene  of  varied  al 
tivities.    The  dancers  take  their  places,  and  afte^ 
an  appointed  spokesman  has  made  some  aDMo 
pnate  remarks,  dancing  begins.     Afte?  tWs  set 
has  danced  an  hour  or  more,  a  frArset  from 
another  tribe  takes  the  floor. '  Feasting Ts  inte?^ 
spersed  and  the  distribution  of  thrgo^ods  to  be" 
given  away  is  made.    Great  bundles  of  blankets 
pnnts,  muslin  and  edibles  of  various  kinds  are 
given  ont.    While  many  of  the  blankets  areiven 


PERIOD  OF  TIME  COVERED  143 

correctly?pl^fi4^;,hP,^^^^^^^^^^  «'«  sung,  or,  znore 
accordffiolhe  I~^„f  "'"§  «  ^""^t^l^  varies 

defin^'dSstiif  do^^'^f '^  'T'^'^^  *°  ^«»- 
parturefiEr'ristaT'  ^°'  "°  *'- 

to  distinSh  i?  from  ?hP,r*^*''"*°«'  ^^^  ^«  '•^^^ 
ishcs^of  some  totemic  s^^a^aX ^^^^ 

the  War  Dan^e  fhp  Ppf.    n  ^P'''"!^"*  ""^s  are 
«.^'"<if"E,?v .TriS""??,'-""  \»*.  «l  from 


144  PRESENT-DAY  CUSTOMS 

give  way  to  one  from  another  tribe.  They  danrn 
in  rivalry  and  frequently  engender  envy  iea? 
ousy  contention  and  strife.  Each  side  watches 
carefully  is  opponents  and  notices  and  remem- 
bers the  slightest  mistake  made  while  danS 

d^nS^nr  i'r  '^°  • '  "^^^^'d^'ed  a  reflection  on 
maWeTafirr/i^rT'''^  ''''''  "P°"  «- 

.reSr^^p^^""*^'  ^f"^  Participants  stand  close  to- 
gether and  scarcely  move  out  of  their  tracks 
They  are  surrounded,  as  a  rule,  by  a  larire  bodv  of 
spectators,  who  confine  them  in  a  poXe  area 

ments  of  the  hands,  arms,  head  and  entire  body 

^heT  *i'  r''*-  ^^  *^'  ''^^^  spectator  some  of 
these    motions    are    extremely    ludicrous    and 

buSsT'a'T'r/'  '"*  *°  '"^^  native  urs'erious 
throuTit  nn  T-  ^^.'"■«  a  sober  countenance 
tnrougii  It  all.    Time  is  measured  by  the  beat  of 

rapi?  anrbvTh'"-^*'  °°^  1°".^'  "°^  s^ow  and  now 
start  'to  l^V^^'n""''^"*  "^^""^  "^  f««»aJes  from 

St£ttfthutLru7er*^  ^'^  -  ^«™-y 

of  which  are  highly  valued.  Tribal  hSmnn 
the  way  of  wooden  hats,  masks,  ear-dropshead 

do^  "ft'''  ''^t""^' ."*"•'  ^^^'=^  have  beerhanded 
down  from  generation  to  generation,  are  much 

andc'SfldV;.  ^he.  participants  are  men,  w^men 
and  children    Their  faces  are  streaked  with  paint 

.J^F  u  ^''•^""  '''"■^-  ^""^^  of  the  leading  actors 
7Z  ^f l^P'r«  ^th  .flexible  projectionf  sTx  or 
eight  inches  long  sticking  out  of  the  tnp     These 


BIG  DANCE  AT  ANGOON  145 

prongs  are  filled  between  with  eagle's  down  «n^ 
every  once  in  awhile  durinir  the  dn^P»  t^^  '    ^ 

dale's'' The' la?!w*°''^''^  ^  ""'"^^^  °f  "dative 
sScaut  o?  IZ^^^'  ™°f  *  «P?ctacular  and  most 

»bi  ferth^*^t^:ai4r^^^ 

br?ef"nc°e    ^''^'''"'  ""^^'''^^  '«1^-«  only 
soo^n^f  fflatteratfain'"''/'^^"  «°^^'«*-«  («« 


1*6  PRESENT-DAY  CUSTOMS 

to  them.    A  nephew,  who  had  been  educated  in 

Z^r^fZ  '"^"IH'  T^^  i.^P«»*«'i  efforts  o  gLt 
K„f  Tt  ^a  ^^^^  *°  ^'^  ^"^''e  »°  a  long  journey, 
but  failed.    The  untutored  aunt  would  not  con 

trarTf„*L'P''r*''  ^%  ''^P''^^'  ««  "  ^««  'on- 
Pthf7«  Tf  •  '"'*'??^  of  womanly  modesty  and 
ard  IfPr  Jn  °??«.«^"«d  ^proper  for  a  brother 
and  sister  to  sit  m  the  same  room  if  no  others 
"'■t-,*'ll''-  A  brother  refused  to  enter  the  church 
Jt*'L*?'  «"iyal  of  others  because  his  sister  wS 
the  only  one  mside.  A  brother  may  not  make  a 
present  to  his  married  sister,  but  ma^^  to  hTr  hus 
M.    }  "•  "onsidered  highly  improper  for  a 

Ti?^''rrM-*^''^>«  "«'""«<J  sister  anytfing. 
-nil  1  'l?^^*!,'^°"'<^  s°oper  sustain  great  per- 
sonal loss  than  face  the  opprobrium  which  would 
be  heaped  upon  them  for  the  violation  o7  any 
popular  custom  PubUc  scorn  is  the  m7s?dreaded 
thmg  imaginable  to  them.  And  nothing  invites  k 
like  the  violation  of  their  customs. 


XV 
THE  DISPOSITION  OF  THE  DEAD 

motion  nil  ii'^'"^'"''"^  '=°"°°«  customs  in 
class  o?  the  "deceased  ^  fct  "1  "°  ^""^  [^^^  ""^ 
tion  is  heard  from  ?ie  entire  tribe^'lV'""''"'"- 
he  ex  ires  „,essengers  arf'ent^S  ovef  Ihrconn' 

NJi,„rT'"%^'«  ^^^^^  t°  his  tribaJrelatTons" 
-No  matter  how  far  away  thev  mnv  hnot  <■!,*• 

no  disposi^on  is  made  f/Z  Zl'^ZZyT- 

nve^  It  lies  m  state,  clothed  in  the  verv  best  nf 

fco:j;Ve7hS""5'he°"o*fdTr^aT^  T""^*^  «°^ 
gaced  on  top  oThis?oL°!'A?taTonro^ 

£|ir^-/^e^Ais.feS 

of  cremation  his  totemic  marks  were  painted  In 

tak^^^'^^i  P''°P«'''y  placed  in  state,  the  widow 
t^  r.L  'i.?''^''  ?°  ^^^  fl°<"-  beside  the  body  noT 

of    Srim^^e^  ;tosr  of  Te  "S^  .^  '"1^^° 

JeT^H^erTi-^"'^  f  ^f  as^  tle'c^^sSes^l 

aU  oy?r  i^  toke?^r  ^""^  ^''  H'  P«i°t«d  "ack 
t^  over,  in  token  of  moummg.    Hired  mourners 

147 


WW" 


148     THE  DISPOSITION  OF  THE  DEAD 

take  their  places  also  beside  the  remains     All 

sr  rcerj '- "' «°  °pp-"«  *"""--  ^^^ 

tiofKrS'^Zrraa^^^^^^^^^ 
great  feast  which  must  follow*  The^first  sten 
toward  this  is  to  collect  all  the  money  possible 
from  the  members  of  the  dead  man's  tribe  All 
fh.  iT'  "•  «'^"i /"d  ^0  trr.ble  is  had  S  raisW 
the  money  needed  for  the  feast.   It  would  be  Teat 

home  food  products  such  as  dried  fish,  fish  oU  and 
wZl^^^V^.^"t?  preserved  L'fish  o"        ^ 

ariirZ^^K^^S''^^-  '■?^''"^^«  »'  tl'e  deceased 
arnye,  the  officiatmg  missionary  is  sent  for.  if  a 

^il^?  w  '"^r  '^  *•*»  *>«  ^«J<i  ^  the  home  'Fre 
Thp  nJ/"°'"'  "^"^"^^  «>•«  ^i^'d  in  the  church 
The  ceremony  over  at  the  home  or  the  church 
hn-ed  pallbearers  convey  the  casket  to  the  hearse 
or  to  the  burial  ground.  In  these  days  a  band  of 
music  often  plays  dirges  and  funeral  marches  as 
the  procession  moves  along.    Women  have  ^ath 

t-fw^P,"'!  *^«  «"•'"'««  intenderto  be  buried 
with  the  body,  and  taken  them  to  the  grave  The 
brief  ceremony  there  being  over,  thi  mourners 
sit  with  their  backs  to  the  grave  and  give  vent  to 
real  or  assumed  grief.  * 

Often  the  whole  ceremony  is  delayed  for  th^ 
men  to  enlarge  the  grave  to  accoZodSe  thi 


DRESSING  THE  DYING  FOR  BURIAL  149 

must  be  liberallXteSd.^'^'^-''«^«"^'  ^*''-' 
By  the  time  the  various  claims  and  the  other 


V  ■|.:' 


i 


150     THE  DISPOSITION  OF  THE  DEAD 

can  buy    OftPn»vr.»t^  ™"^'  ^  ««  «°od  as  money 

Thermus?be  rn^eTeTfo'^K^^^     "^  ''^^^^ 
set  UD  bv  thoHoTf  .^  •.    ""/"•I  ground  and 

the  dead     Tm!        °  "PPo^jte  tribe  from  that  of 

erededLm  are  pTd'^'  "  '^^^'  "''^°  *''°««  ^ho 

hig?fn1?aTilThi°fVL'St^'  *''^«''  ''°*  - 
other  than  slaves  (wLosebo^i^a  """"'"'  P^?P'« 
the  sea),  is  similL  fn  fw  ■  /'?5  f^^^  ''^st  into 
imposing  and  eTieLveB.?/  ^J^^f*.  on'X  not  so 
a  family  thpv  Itf^ll  ^"t  ^°  matter  how  poor 

exS  ''^^'•y  P"'"*  to  giye  their  lead 

boi^s't?  ?hTde"aVnorii"°'/?^,  ''^«'  ^"^  ^he 
carefully  e^leS^Sinr^m'LW^^^^^ 
Llh^L^g  derhiVVhe'^^nl^'  4  '^^P* 
dU^guishe^d  from  tToth^Xthe  ctC'ofX 

fea^s?s%o?t'&"^h:y;flfey'eni^ 

and  bones  to  hn,-^,  j^""}' V"' eyen  exhume  bodies 

orderThayet^eSs"  forTXT^-'^""  •" 
one  instance  two  rein t^vl^L^''  feasting.    In 


PKCULIAR  CUSTOMS  AT  BURIAL      161 

bur^  a  ^rt";!?^"'  """^  "'«^  --  «-"y 

Zi ;  JLX'rS  ^.JT"  °'  °"  "'•■■  '»•  I"*- 

In  the  days  of  cremation,  and  even  later  don^ 

f«milf ""  i*^*'^  ^^''^^^"^  t''«t  «°me  one  of  the 
family  would  surely  die,  but  if  the  snirit  nf  lv.1 
deceased  entered  the  dog  it  woudno^  return  5o 

wTll  "^  ^"^^  ""T^"'  "f  ^^^  household 
^ron    *.,    J""'i'''°°°'  exception  in  the  case  of  chil- 

i<  rom  the  moment  of  death  until  the  bodv  ia  Hi= 
posed  of,  some  one  must  remain  with  the  corn«: 


<■' 


la«     THE  DISPOSITION  OP  THE  DEAD 

to  hold  it  have  found  that  they  had  already  «rone 
tn  fi\r'"''"7-    '^^"y  became  impa  lent  toTet 

™/a  "liflr*""^'  '••^  ^he  remaln'o'rheX 

bodicB  Of  medicme-men  are  always  pkced  on  some 
high  and  almost  inacceBsible  pr™tory  Many 
a  sham,  Cg  deadhouse  may  be  seen  from   he  dock 

fl  t;*TrhuS>  '^^  «•""«  ^'^^  -"""el 
oK«,L*t       'i"n<ired,  or  even  two  hundred  feet 

ft  A  "'^'^i*i'■•    '°  "''"7  instances  the  canoe  of 
the  departed  doctor  may  fee  seen  beside  the  dead 
W  rottmg  m  conjunction  with  the  bones  of  iJs 

^«?'"^f  j"^*  Jbe  ashes  aud  bones  of  the  dead  were 
deposited  m  hollow  mortuary  poles  A  number 
thanTit^^^  f"^  yf  be  seen  fn  the  ca^i^,!l 

mo^;nt;^  «tSS's^^«irst?e\t^to°m^ 
flowing  tears,  people  pitied  her,  as  thev  beliPviS 
«frlV™'^  missed  her  husband.'  But  i?  So  such 
«K?  ''^e  visible  they  disliked  her  and  talked 
hlT  bf.  believing  that  she  did  not  care  for  her 
L  a^'sf^  „f '°«*'°».««  tbe  living  shaved  their  heads 
%n^l^  mourning,  and  widows  cut  their  hair 
■J°^«^,^^^^,^^i^oduced  at  bu:ials  to  let  those 
m  attendance  know  something  of  the  historv  of 
the  dead  and  his  family  connections  ^  °^ 


SIGNS  OP  MOURNING 


IBS 

This  was  in  earlier  times,  howevpp  nn^  ;.  „„* 
practised  now.  As  Christ  an  burial  SJs'^Sd 
planted  cremation,  and  as  Chri«tran  rulZ 
largely  empoyed  in  the  final  disposition  of  the 
body,  Chr.8  .an  songs  are  sung  at  their  funerals 
Those  m  attendance  at  funerals  are  always  ven; 
reverential.  But  those  ■  ,  ,'oved  to  cfrry  [ho  co7 
Sfce^dXacv  l^/""':-     '••  "'  -*  -^0  "wItTttt 

coffin  after  the  f„:„  ,  ,.1  ,  ro  !■  ,«iou  I      "  rfveVa? 
the  grave  and  th-  bor,:,-,ved.   .    hcII  ,     othirs  fn 
attendance,  are  c..n;pt]l,.,]  t.  l-.,::  t.,  the  pound 
•"K  "J"!  sawing  ;  ,,ti!  it  ;    ,,  ..p^pt^j  ?"«»''- 

■Hut,  they  are  mi'-in-     ,/  -1^3     ai,H  dnnWioc,, 
so^^e^day  they  will  be  V.r.  "liT^liif  l^f^ 


XVI 

SHAMANISM  AND  SUPERSTITIONS 

TH^  part  that  superstition  has  played,  and 
still  plays,  m  human  affairs  is  by  no  means 
small.    It  IS  a  child  of  ignorance  and  thrives 
best  m  the  barbarous  mind,  and  yet  enlightened 
people  are  not  altogether  free  from  it. 

Behef  in  witchcraft  has  ever  been  the  dominant 
superstition  of  uncivilized  people,  and  no  other 
superstition  has  been  so  prolific  of  cruelty  among 

While  it  does  not  hold  the  sway  over  the  na- 
tives of  Alaska  that  it  did  some  years  ago,  and 
while  some  have  thrown  it  off  altogether,  yet  it  is 
still  potent  with  the  mass  of  the  people.  Dis- 
eases, especially  those  of  a  lingering  and  wasting 
nature,  like  consumption,  are  regarded  as  the  work 
ot  malevolent  witches. 
*  ■?/°P?®'"xP^"  ^"  sickness  and  death  were  at- 

~™o^  i°  ^''^^.-j  TJ^'^  ''^•°«  ^^'^  «a«e,  the  only 
remedy  they  could  think  of  was  to  expel  the  evil 
spirit  that  possessed  the  sick  and  was  doing  the 
mischief.  They  must  either  do  that  or  locati  and 
fall  the  witch.    This  was  regarded  as  a  sacred 

For  this  purpose  there  were  professional  men 
among  them  known  as  ikt,  in  their  tongue,  and 
called  in  the  English  language,  medicine-men,  In- 
dian doctors  and  shamans,  the  last  term  having 
been  borrowed  from  the  Russians.    They  were 

1S4 


THE  OFFICE  OF  SHAMAN  155 

or  two  to  a  community.  Some  communities  'lad 
none.  The  friends  of  the  sick  in  such  viUaKes 
sent  abroad  for  the  ikt  when  needed  ^'"^S^s 

The  office  of  shaman  may  be  inherited  Ukp  t)i« 
ancient  priesthood,  but  not^necerarily  so  Is  a 
rule,  one  mnst  be  consecrated  to  the  office  from 
WhT:  ^l^^''  "r^-  ^''^^^"'^  or  water  must  eve^ 
Kh^'„^«f-  Jv.'"'  '•"•«"  ^'"^  """^e  matted  Ihe 
t„  Ini  ^^l.**""  iu?  P"^^'  tJ'e  doctor  is  supposed 
to  possess.   For  this  reason  the  hair  of  an  .%  was 

shS  an^d^""^'^-  ^  '^""^  °*  "  »»'«  power  vZ! 
Thi  tnl^  '^'','  °.°  l""?^'  consulted  as  a  doctor. 
The  total  neglect  of  the  hair  was  not  the  only 

Sod^'s'?.^  f^  ^'^'^  r?^"r°-  They  spent  long 
nn=i?ii  •  ^''^  ^°''?^*  "^  absolute  solitude,  sup- 
lufll^  communication  with  evil  spirits.  They 
firL^  •*  P^"°^^  °^  ^^^t'^g'  ""Id  their  diet  diZ 
ftf^l,  °i^^°^  l^^F^"^^  ''"«'  tl>at  of  others.  They 
^^i^^A^^'f  of  devilcluo  and  portions  of  bodies 
^\l  ^rl;  ^'"'y  «I«o  procured  and  held  in  the 
mouth  the  finger  pf  a  dead  ikt.  Just  before  they 
engaged  m  exorcising  evil  spirits  from  the  sick 
or  in  determining  who  was  the  witch, They  drank 

tainTnVfh  P"'"*-  ^v.*""^  'H^^y^  '^^Pt  the  b'^x  con 
A  Wr«  paraphernalia  on  top  of  the  house. 
A  hot  fire  was  required  when  performing  about 
the  sick,  and  they  began  the  ceremony  in  perfect 

?n^  *^-  /',  u  "^  '"'"■'°^d  t°  tJieir  work,  a  girdle 
composed  of  bones,  claw-nails  and  talons  was  du? 
about  their  loins,  then  a  necklace  of  such  abSut 
their  necks,  and  last  of  all  they  were  given  rattles 


a>'i 


106    SHAMANISM  AND  SUPEBSTITIONS 

especially  made  for  their  nse.    It  was  firmly  be- 
lieved that  the  evil  spirits  could  not  be  con/ured 

raSe^"^  ^^^"^^  ^^'^  *^®  ^™'"  «°^  ^^^ 

},„^  *ilf  °^*ir?  ^^l*-*¥*  '?°o<J  spirits  would  never 
harm  them,  their  chief  concern  was  to  propitiate 
the  evil  ones  so  they  would  not. 
nl^v'^^^l^^^  sick  recovered,  no  witch  was  hunted. 
On  tne  other  hand  if  the  patient  grew  worse  and 
showed  signs  of  dymg,  then  the  wily  doctor  evaded 
responsibility  by  asserting  that  a  witch  was  hin- 
dering his  work  and  must  be  found  and  killed. 
^  or  the  service  of  locating  the  witch,  he  had  to 
one^'well^  ^  *^"  ^^^  '*'^°  ^°'  ™^''®'y  making 

The  one  settled  on  as  the  witch  was  generally 
some  unimportant  member  of  the  community,  an 
"?'=«""y-i?.°king  creature,  a  slave,  or  some  one 
who  had  the  ill  will  of  the  doctor  or  the  relatives 
oj.  the  patient  This  was  a  very  effective  way  of 
ridding  one  of  his  enemy. 

No  one,  not  even  the  victim  himself,  thought  of 
disputujg  the  shaman's  judgment.  Whom  he 
designated  as  the  witch  was  believed  by  all  to  be 
such,  and  was  immediately  treated  as  inch  A 
near  relative  of  the  witch  usually  took  the'  ini- 
tiative in  the  punishment. 

The  victim  was  first  reviled,  reproached,  bru- 
tally and  shamefully  treated,  and  subsequently  put 
to  death.  No  punishment  was  considered  too  cruel 
tor  a  witch,  and  various  means  were  devised  for 
their  torture.  They  were  tied  to  stakes  before  the 
rising  tide,  and  to  stakes  in  the  forests  for  wolves 
to  devour;  they  were  made  to  die  from  starva- 
tion, with  food  almost  within  their  reach;  their 
limbs  were  tied  to  their  bodies  and  then  they  were 


iiiTK.M     I'or.l,; 


■  I  ^  ',  ' 


CASES  OF  WITCHCRAFT  157 

ttrown  naked  on  a  bed  of  thorns.    In  short,  all 

bnds  of  exquisite  tortures  were  applied  to  the 

miserable  wretches. 
After  the  witch  was  left  to  die,  no  one  would 

dare  approach  him,  or  in  any  way  offer  relief. 

The  curse  of  the  community  would  be  on  the  head 

of  the  one  who  did. 

If  a  witch  had  the  good  fortune  to  escape  death, 
he  was  shunned  by  all,  and  no  matter  how  much  he 
might  be  in  need  of  assistance,  no  one  would  help 
him.  The  case  of  a  poor  old  blind  man  comes  to 
mmd.  In  his  earUer  days  he  had  been  tied  up 
as  a  witch,  but  was  rescued  from  his  horrible  con- 
dition by  some  white  men.  To  keep  him  from 
starving,  after  he  became  practically  helpless,  the 
white  people  living  about  him  supported  him 
through  charity.  No  native  would  do  anything  for 
him  because  he  had  once  been  declared  a  witch 
by  their  infalhble  ikt. 

It  would  be  almost  impossible  to  exaggerate 
the  native's  terror  of  witches.  It  is  for  this  rea- 
son rather  than  for  hardness  of  heart  or  delight  in 
human  suffermgs,  that  they  torture  them.  They 
deem  nothing  too  cruel  for  them  because  they  hold 
them  responsiblo  for  all  human  sufferings  and 
fleatn  itself. 

Any  one  who  accuses  another  of  being  a  witch 
runs  the  risk  of  losing  his  life  at  the  hands  of  the 
accused,  or  his  relatives,  for  it  is  deemed  such  a 
terrible  charge  Even  venerated  shamans  have 
been  killed  for  this. 

A  young  girl  was  tied  up  and  after  severe 
torture  was  compelled  to  admit  that  she  had  made 
witch-medicme.  She  was  then  compelled  to  dive 
down  and  bury  the  concoction  in  the  bed  of  the 
river,  the  natives  believing  that  if  this  is  done  the 


188     SHAMANISM  AND  SUPERSTITIONS 

^^^m^L%r:L'^l,''li''rf  that  a 
cinfi     StTo  ;=  ^^^       ^  *"  ™^''«  *he  fearful  medi- 

oq.^^pi:o:z-iS^:  *^^'*--«-  ^-« 

left  to  starve  ?n  a  garrft  bntflfr*-''  ?^''y  «"'^ 
the  place,  hearing  It  the  lad'^liTT""^  °^ 
cned  him   and  sent  him  t«  +1.!  ™  8f?rtwne,  res- 

making  others  believe  that  fL"  if  ^  ^'"J^.'" 
C\^:i^--'•'"t^oSf?L^l^r^mVe^iet 

suStiti:?str:«rTd'rsi^  T"'  *^«  '■*'  -« 

His  word  was  abS  -I/?  «"-P<"^erfnl  being, 
journey  and  sncclss^n  thpl  ^  his  spirit  for  a  safe 


THE  IKT-S  BURIAL  PLACE  lag 

embalmed,  then  wrannpH  ;^  „  :  ,  """^y  ^as 
material,  iildfeZleh^dV.T^  ""^/-^  ''I  ^^'^'^ 
house,  things  th«f'>,!  ^j  ^^^?^^  "» t^ie  dead- 
were  deposUe^d  Sfh  hfm  To  '"?,  ''T^  '»  "f« 
they  were  never  in  „n^"^        ™*"^''  ^"^  costly, 

cially  sacred    Notcn^hl  '^^S^rded  as  espe- 

%^  ''f  |>iKf^  ^a^e^'^'  "''^  ^^-  -  «^-- 

beS5  ?h\f  e'tVSe'ln^ti;;^;.-^-  ^f^""^ 
woman,  and  for  th/=  ^     too  familiar  with  some 

had  for'saken  hL   '     ''"'°  ^«  all-powerful  ya;t 

of SToo'?W£w  it''%°''^  ^°''''  P"-  -  ^-°t 
in  front  of  hifdoor  when  C'hL°hn7'  '''''T^ 
engaged,  and  any  one  about  f„i^'^  "^^^  ^''"^ 

a  prophet.  As  8iip)i  ho  J.  ii  spirits,  but  to  be 
weather,  he  pronertirI/"fJ°°«"'*«<^  ««  *» 
whether  a  cer?aTnvpntT»  *"  ',*5'*  °°  *•"«  *"int, 
cess  or  failure  and  Ihltnfr"^"''^*  '^t''  «««" 

shaman  cou  d  sLk  the  tI-'''^^^^^*  ^  ^hlinget 
the  Tsimpshean  «nir.>  ^^^Pshean  tongue  when 
othenri^^  ^°  '^'"'  '^°'«  "P""  him,  but  not 


160     SHAMANISM  AND  SUPERSTITIONS 

They  were  very  jealous  of  one  another,  discred 

hlAT  "'"'*''?'■'  ''"^  *J°*n«  what  they  could  to 
break  down  each  other's  reputation.    When  jeal° 

on^'anotTer"'  *'"*  '""''^  «P'"*«  -"«  ^A 
When  in  the  full  swing  of  his  performance  the 
tkt  makes  such  a  hideous  noise  that  no  sSrit  how 
ever  ma hgnant,  is  considered  to  be  bo?d  enouTh 

he  'rthe  ZoVf'^':?  \°^^-  In  aPPea"ranS 
in,,  %  n  ""^J  diabolical  and  repulsive-look- 
ing of  all  creatures,  and  it  is  scarcelv  to  be 
^^ondered  at  that  he  fills  others '^"h'awe  and 

niJh,ri"^f''°°°**'*'°'i''«  ^"'"^i*  «"  excellent  pen 
picture  of  one  in  action,,  taken  from  the  renlisHn 
no^el  of  Mrs.  Eugene  S.  Willard?^  Kindastn  ^s 

npn  JJ""^^  P^'*^  °^  *^*  «'««*  'loi'se  are  filled  with 
people-men,  women  and  children,  sittinK  and 
standing,  densely  massed.     On  the  fourth  af^T 

thTbodVJl  fC'-^Vf^  *°-'^  tKalufe's 
tne  body  of  the  sick  chief;  at  either  end  of  this 

kthoT""^""*^  the  rewards,  and  between  them 
18  the  dancing  ground  o:  the  doctor,  who  now  sits 

SSnd."''  '""^  ''*  ^^'^'^  '''''  with  the  raltlS 

hrllJJ!  ^'^"^  "^T^  ^'^  ^y^«'  and  now  he  begins  to 
?s  but  ?n  X!,  heavily  and  irregularly-the  dram 
IS  but  touched  as  by  his  breath. 

"  Now  the  eyes  roll— the  sight  turns  inward 

tC^LT'^'  '•'''■?^'"?  "»ht  lurid  arfrom  hell 
The.  muscles  begin  to  twitch,  the  limbs  to  jerk,  the 


PEHPOHMANCE  OF  THE  IKT  lei 

mat^^^'"^  '^^  «^«y  ««  if  moved  by  infernal 

powe^ih?brea?hT' .^^'^  *>«  ^eld  by  awful 
grows  ]ouder-£  d^Z  blf"'''^V"'«  '^^^^ 
every  muscle  freez^es  tenT^-fe  „?r"-'''  ^^i  '°'^' 
w,«.  the  powers  ofihe  un^en  Vorld^  """'''''^^ 

he  is  at  the  s  de  of  the^nfanli'S""*  ''^  «  P«°ther 
the  chant  is  now  a  shriek  ?fi'^^'  P''<'^t™te  form- 
the  close  and  awful  conteetnf  ft  ™-^'''.*«  '"^•'^"te 
the  rattle  is  held  alof?  nn^  1  i*  opposing  forces, 
vehemence.    Now  he  r^f.l'/'^''™  ^*''  ferocious 

clear  over  the  body-wflder  td  wll^''''  ^P""«« 
singing  and  the  dnL-he  wrff  ^.  ^''"^er  grow  the 
he  shrieks  and  moan^  »n^  ?'"J''1«  as  in  torment- 
leaps  into  the  a™th  °Dlift^H'  ^"  °^°  body-he 
curdling  yell-therp !  Wo  ^  n™^  «"d  a  blood- 
into  his  first  posftion  Thf  ^''"^°  d""^  ^"'^P^ed 
mnffled,  also.  There  is  Joh^v  "^^  ''^^^  f""*''- 
the  invisible-a  hiss  L  w1  f '?^~*  •"''^'"«  «* 
with  jaws  set:  the  sn/ttfn^^f  P.".  «o°>P'-essed, 
and  snari  of  a'maddt  edlf  '  ^''•^•=«^'  ^^^  «°aP 

with^muTcfeftt  t°'f  '■^'""^  °'  *^«  "feature, 

moved  withTrrSsrbleV~tifl%"''  •''°''  ^^"^ 
mouth,  the  eves  mlijlL  „    "'  ^  ''  foaming  at  the 

falls  under  the  power  ^fTh^..  ^°-*"'l!^  "^^'^y-  ^^ 
to  encounter.  Tw^men  1^  ^^'J'*'  ''^  "^^^  dared 
him  in  their  grain  ^^in^J^*^  '"'^^"^  '"'d  take 
eating  his  own  flesh'  ^^   °  P''^'^^"*  J^™  f™m 


168     SHAMANISM  AND  SUPERSTITIONS 

ih^pir*? ^•*  .^j"  i*'  .^"y  *™'''  "'  t»  those  who  are 
objects  of  dishke  to  those  rich  enough  to  my  this 
creature  for  condemning  them  I  ^^ 

"  The  waiting  people  hold  their  breath  in  si- 
knce  which  grows  more  terrible,  not  knowing  who 

powCoflrZ;'  '"'''  ''°"""'*"°''  *''^  *"« 

"  But  now  the  sorcerer  moves,  twitches  and 
quivers  again,  and  with  the  seen.ing  agonfes  of 
a  horrible  death  he  struggles  back  to  human  life 
liike  one  muttering  in  his  sleep  he  speaks-every 
ear  is  strained  to  catch  the  words  which  come 
l^^r^glmg  from  that  world  of  horrors  and  of  m^s 

f^ll','^''®  *P!f'*  °{}^^  «"■««*  <'''>ef  must  pass  be- 

same  sepulchral  tone  comes  the  name  '  Sha-hehe.' 
What  else  the  sorcerer  says  and  does  are  lost  in 
the  quick,  sharp  cry  of  terror  from  Sha-hehe,  and 
the  general  hubbub  which  ensues." 

2^  htsTfe  °  '■""^'^  """^  '*  "  ^'«  ^'""t"' 

His  belief  in  the  existence  of  evil  and  malignant 
spirits  .8  the  foundation  for  his  belief  in  ^tch- 
oratt.  He  regards  them  as  not  only  capable  of 
producing  disease,  but  of  sending  other  calami- 
ties. They  may  make  a  heavy  storm  swamp  his 
canoe,  cause  him  to  be  drowned,  to  be  destroyed 
by  bears,  triumphed  over  by  his  foes,  and  in  other 
vays  do  him  untold  harm.  ,     u  m  oiner 

Ti,^^K-''i'''"P.^'^  regarded  by  him  as  evil  omens, 
ifie  birth  of  twins  is  one.  In  former  years  a 
man  felt  justified  in  leaving  his  wife  if  she  pre- 


EVIL  OJfENS  igg 

matter  of  course  ^     ^  "^  accepted  as  a 

years,  when  tribal  wars  wpro^?o  •*"  ^  "rmor 
ered  the  sure  si^.'  oTa'^  ISroS'4  Ctir^"^" 
.   Children  are  forbidden  to  throw  scranrnf  f^.^ 

J:i;Lrth'^aTla:;^tf'?'^Y 

TV,1    iV  ^  mysteriously  caught  by  a  nativp 

The  old  woman  would  not  nart  wjfj  tv,     ^r 
for  anvthinir      a  ,  j  u-  j   "  ,     ^""  'Dese  bones 

"  '"<■"«  "»<'  PMJ  est.  th.t  b/fomd  S" 


MdOCOrr  •ESOIU'ION  tbi  chait 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No.  2) 


A  >IPPLIED  IMHGE     Inc 

^5^  '653  East  Moin  Street 

Sg^S  Rochester,    New   York         14609        USA 

-— —  ("6)  4B3  -  0300  -  Phone 

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164     SHAMANISM  AND  SUPERSTITIONS 

peculiar  place,  and  every  turn  of  good  fortune  is 
at  once  accredited  to  these  eggs. 

The  tongues  of  birds  and  of  mice,  after  having 
been  dned  on  the  top  of  a  house,  are  considered 
very  potent  tahsmans. 

Many  natives  are  firm  believers  in  love-potions. 
These  are  made  of  the  tongues  of  birds,  frogs 
and  mice,  andiof  herbs,  and  the  medicine  or  cham 
IS  known  as  ka-ga'ne-e-thloot  (tongue  medicine) 
When  a  woman  becomes  infatuated  with  a  man 
and  her  love  is  not  reciprocated,  or  if  a  wife  ob- 
serves that  her  husband's  affection  is  cooling  and 
she  wishes  to  retain  it,  she  resorts  to  the  love- 
potvjn.  This  18  made  of  the  ingredients  men- 
tioned above  and  in  great  secrecy.  It  is  then 
wrapped  m  a  piece  of  ;he  loved  one's  necktie,  or 
sturt,  or  some  other  garment,  and  carefully  hidden 
away,  the  woman  taking  good  care  not  to  forget 
the  spot  where  it  is  hidden,  as  it  is  believed  if  the 
place  IS  forgotten  not  only  will  the  potion  lose  its 
t/^u-  woman  will  also  lose  her  mind. 

If  this  process  of  winning  or  retaining  the  af- 
fections IS  faithfully  carried  out,  it  is  firmly  be- 
lieved to  result  in  victory.  The  process,  however 
of  compoimding  the  ingredients  in  rightful  pro- 
portions IS  known  to  but  few.  The  potion  may 
be  bought,  but  IS  very  costly.  This  same  philter 
18  sometimes  resorted  to  to  make  one  successful 
m  the  hunt,  dance,  witchcraft  and  in  other  affairs 
of  life. 

It  is  believed  that  all  animals  understand  hu- 
man speech.  For  this  reason  natives  are  careful 
what  they  say  about  them  not  only  in  their  pres- 
ence, but  at  any  time;  for  they  have  some  mys- 
terious way  of  hearing  all  said  about  them,  and 
If  evil  or  boastful  things  are  said,  the  creature 


SUPERSTITIONS  ABOUT  DROWNING   166 

Tliwt!^'^^  *°  ^t^'  °^.^'''  «"d  in  time  will 
f^K^i  ♦  ♦  ™  -^^  speaker.  A  young  man  who  was 
off  C  ^^  r'|P"^  ^^''  ^1^'«  '»  "^e  of  them  fell 
s^/fLl^^l*''  t  '"'^'  ""<^  ^««  drowned.    It  was 

to  some  IiJjf„'fi  ^^'  ^^  f  .^^^  ^«  ^P*"'^  '"'kind? 
to  some  httle  fishes,  and  this  was  his  punishment 

shLJ,"  V  v.^S'^''^  ""P  swore  at  some  mountain 
sheep  which  he  was  hunting  because  they  w™e  S 
a  difficult  place  to  reach.  In  his  effort  tr/each 
them  a  Mowslide  came  down  and  buried  him  Md 
frnf 'del^- J*"^  °«^^«  ''^"-«  that  he  meTv^^h 
sheep  ^  ^^^  disrespectful  to  the 

Drl^^f^^f^  grampus  is  seen,  he  is  practically 
mo7«fl  f  to  bring  them  good  luck.  This  marine 
Wf  I^^'*'  ^  «^«'S'  "''d  is  generally  on  the 
hunt  for  them.  He  may  direct  the  hunter  to  where 

t„.  ,^ Lf  *^^"'®  ""^'^'^  "^  respectfully  spoken 
to,  It  not,  they  are  supposed  to  resent  it.  disao- 
pear  and,  m  some  way,  bring  trouble  to  those  who 
have  been  so  disrespectful. 

The  crow,  raven  and  eagle,  being  totemic  birds 
are  never  molested  by  those  of  their  totem  ' 

..ZAtuT^^  *?**  *^«  spirit  of  the  drowned  is 
caugit  by  the  land-otter  and  dragged  into  C^le 

native  hobgoblin,  or  ghost  of  the  woods. 
On  account  of  this  superstition,  drowning  is  con- 

especially  If  the  body  is  not  recovered     Coiiop 

r^l^I  "T^'"  ^  ''""I^  '«  <^'°^ed  dUigent  search 
18  made  to  recover  his  body,  heavy  riwards  arP 
offered  and  searching  parties  firmed  When 
Chief  Km-da-goosh  was  drowned  in  the  Chilkat 
river  the  whole  country  was  in  commotionr^d 


166 


SHAilANISM  AND  SUPEilSTITIONS 


l^'l 


liii 


were  Hundreds  of  natives  looking  for  his  bodv 
^'^^'^^..^^''^^^^^^^''^d  until  the  body  wa^' 
JnZ^^^^'  ^l''"^^  '*  *o°>^  days  to  find  it     Gr^at 

T„,^^''f  husband  goes  hunting  or  fishing  his  wife 
must  not  bathe,  comb  her  hair  nor  look  into  ^ 
mirror,  lest  it  bring  him  bad  luck  °*°  * 

hn^„^S  "  ^T^^i  is  pregnant,  neither  she  nor  her 
There  T^Kl^  tkmbleberries  or  strawbe^ies' 
wifh  hf,f».       A^u^l^^  superstitions  in  connection 
with  births    A  babe  must  not  be  bom  in  the  house 

nf  ^r  ^'^Pf  stitioiis  belief  in  the  reality  and  truth 
If  a  siK- '  *^/'"«''dous  hold  on  the  n^atl^e  Sd 
It  a  sick  native  dreams  of  one  bewitchinsr  him  fh«V 
one  18  positively  regarded  as  a™h  ^If^'hu  * 
band  dreams  that  his  wife  has  been  untrue  to  hZ' 
he  believes  that  she  has  and  riles  he?  a  eon^^' 
whippmg  on  the  strength  of  it  ^^ 

chrstTv^Zth'/^""^  ^^^^^^  ^««  struck  in  the 
cnest  Dy  another  woman.    When  aha  a-arr^i.^  n. 


PROPERTIES  OF  MEDICINE  167 

ate  some  themselves,  but  cast  the  most  of  it  into 
the  nver  to  feed  the  drowned, 
tn  in^^!^J/"  f«yf' O'deals  by  poison  were  resorted 
to  m  order  to  determine  guilt.    Medicines  were 
rehed  on  more  for  their  supernatural  than  for 

for  fW*^"""\*-P''°P"'''^^«'  f"'  'I'^i'-  chams  than 
for  their  curative  powers.  Thus  a  certain  med^ 
cine  was  blown  upon  traps  to  make  them  success- 
tul  in  catching  game.  Others  were  used  to  reveal 
secrets  to  make  one  rich,  to  make  one  eucceslfu 
against  his  enemy,  to  give  one  power  to  km  anl  - 
Situ^'^f^  one  hrppy,  and  so  on  almo  t  ad 
STV  I^«^e-potions  were  concocted  and  be- 
iZi^'i  ^^  ""^"^  efficacious.    The  writer  has  been 

f or  a  maHr  K  ^""^"^  T^°  ^'^  «  ^^^l^"*  hatred 
tor  a  man  has  been  won  to  a  passionate  love  for 
hm  because  he  carried  a  love-potion  to  influence 

When  fishing,  natives  talk  to  their  halibut  lines 
hooks  and  floats,  calling  them  "  brother  in-law  ''' 
L  i^f-i'^-'^Ti    ^*''-    It  '«  believed  that  °f  they 

twl°  '"  *^*?  ^*'"'<^  °°t  ^^^^  a°y  good  luck 
tne  list  ot  TMmget  superstitions.  It  will  serve 
however,  to  show  what  a  sway  this  evil  priSe 
has  over  the  native  Hfe.    But  it  is  only  just  to  sav 


A')'; 


xvn 

TOTEMISM 

T^^^P  i^  °1  ™°'"®  '''*^'"'  't^^S  "I'd  intricate 
subject  pertammg  to  the  natives  of  Alaska 
nflnr.ii^'^  totemism,  and  none  about  which  most 

FaTor^Sfor'  ''^^'  '"''^^"^  '""^  --«- 

toTalWn  wV^  "*'  *,^^  "^t^^""'  *^«'-  reluctance 
to  talk  to  white  people  on  the  subject  and  the  ab- 
sence of  anywrftten  language,  make  it  very  dif- 
ficult to  acquire  a  true  and  comprehensive  faiowl- 
«nfv5  '*V  f  ^!  average  white  man  can  find  out 
nothmg  satisfactory  about  it  by  approaching  them 
on  the  subject.    The  old  natives  who  toow^U 

BolhLTaStlf  ''^  ^"""^  °"^^  '''^  *»  ^'^^ 
.  Pf  only  way  to  get  at  the  truth  of  the  matter 
o'u  "o/ir  h  ^^'"^  r^:  '^f'''«<=«y'  to  draw  them 

conceraiiiif^Tf  r'v^"^y  '?"'^««  themselves 
concerning  it.  If  a  white  man  shows  much  eager- 
ness to  leam  about  their  customs  they  will  almost 
invariably,  especiaUy  if  they  are  not  well  ac 
quainted  with  him,  refuse  to  talk  about  them,  or 
tell  him  some  nonsense  both  to  mislead  him  and 
that  they  may  smile  at  his  credulity 

Because  totem  poles  consist  of  carved  imaees 
some  declare  them  to  be  idols.    They  were  never 

l?#^"l"^.f  '"">  '°  ^^'^  ««  ^«  have  been  able  to 
leam,  by  the  natives. 

An  idol  is  an  image  of  some  imaginary  deity, 

168 


ate 
ika 

ost 
iis- 

ice 
ib- 
if- 
vl- 

lUt 

Jin 
ill 
m 

er 
m 

es 

T- 

St 

c- 
)r 
Id 

8, 

ir 
;o 


CHILKAT  lll.AXKET  A.NU  UOMA 


CREST 


169 


and  18  worshipped  as  having  both  being  and  power. 
The  totem  poles  of  the  natives  of  Alaska,  while 
bearing  images  of  creatures,  were  never  Irected 
to  represent  any  imaginary  deity  or  god.  Nor 
were  they  ever  worshipped.  They  are  highly  re- 
vered because  they  carry  the  tribal  emblem. 
What  tue  coat-of-arms,  or  crest,  is  to  families  of 
the  JiiUghsh  aristocracy,  so  are  totemic  marks  to 
native  families.  The  Englishman  reveres  the 
family  crest,  but  does  not  worship  it;  so  does  the 
native  with  his  totemic  emblem. 

Some  natives  have  misled  white  people  by  call- 
ing their  totems  idols  when  they  merely  meant 
they  were  images.  The  native  word  for  totem  is 
Ko-tea,  meaning  image,  or  likeness.  When  the 
natives  learned  about  the  idols  of  the  Bible,  they 
used  this  same  word  for  idol.  So  now  it  is  used 
mterchangeably  for  image  or  idol.  As  the  native 
does  not  make  the  nice  discrimination  between  the 
meaning  of  terms  that  we  do,  he  very  innocently 
says  one  thing  when  he  means  another 

Some  have  been  told  by  the  natives  that  their 
people  worshipped  the  totem  poles  when  it  was 
only  meant  that  they  have  a  superstitions  rever- 
ence tor  them. 

Another  thing  that  would  give  colour  to  the 
belief  that  they  are  worshipped  is  that  when  they 
saw  the  totem  of  a  shaman,  they  would  make  a 
tormal  sign  in  its  presence,  the  same  as  a  member 
n  the  Kussian  church  makes  when  he  comes  into 
the  presence  of  an  edifice  or  a  priest  of  that  faith 
Ihe  man  does  not  worship  the  edifice  nor  the 
pnest;  nor  does  the  native  worship  the  pole  bv 
so  doing.  f   ^  "} 

The  nearest  approach  to  idolatry  of  these  peo- 
ple was  m  attributing  to  birds,  fish  and  animals 


iro 


TOTEMISM 


Bnpernatural  powers,  and  then  setting  np  images 

tl^oiT-  ^'"J"  "'"**  """*»'««  "e  n»t  regarded 
exactly  as  gods,  yet  attributes  were  ascribed  to 
them  equal  to  the  attributes  of  deity. 

The  totem  poles,"  says  Professor  Dall.  in  Us 

admirable  work,  "Alaska  and  Its  Resources  '• 

are  m  no  sense  idols.    Thev  are  like  nir.fi,rL 

tamily.      This  view  IS  correct.    But  they  are  not 

faXo^  P"*r''  *°  "'"^'^''t^  '«8«°ds;  they  st^d 
lor  very  much  more.  oia"u 

of'tolemf2  ™P'"'*«°ito  a  correct  understanding 

the  peo™  *°  ''°°''  ^^^  *'""  '^t^™"  divisions  of 

All  natives  of  either  main  totemio  division  are 

Wnlff^'  ^'°*\"/  ^'"'^  «•«'«"  tl«>"«h  they  m"; 
be  of  different  sub-totems  of  the  division.  These 
cannot   intermarry.     They   must   seek   Dartne^a 

""o^^/r  '^'  0PP°«it«  <livision,'or  fr?teX 
Une  of  the  common  errors  of  writers  on  the  na- 
tives is  to  confound  subdivisions  with  main  ones 
Another  ,s  to  use  the  terms  "  tribe  "  and  "clan  " 
interchangeably.  A  tribe  may  be  divided  iSto 
dans,  but  not  a  clan  into  tribes.  A  triL  ma^h« 
composed  of  several  sub-totems  but  of  thrsame 
great  phratry;  a  elan,  on  the  other  hand  is  com 
posed  of  people  of  the  same  totem  EveTy  native 
has  his  sub-totem  which,  in  turn,  deteSes  the 
main  division  to  which  he  belongs       *™"°^^  ^''^ 

Alaska  i?^v1,1o^"^^  population  of  southeastern 
Alaska  is  divided,  as  already  stated,  into  two  irreat 
divisions  known  as  the  Eagle  and  the  Crow  *^The 
sub-totems  of  the  Eagle  are  the  Bear,  Wolf 
WvnJ%f^^'^'  ^*'-i  ^""^  °f  tl>«  Crow,  the  Beaver 

£  of  t?e  E«^i«^f  i'  f^  n^^^7  f«°>"y  "-"^t  both 
be  of  the  Eagle  and  the  Crow  fraternity,  the  hus- 


TOXEMIC  DIVISIONS  171 

band  of  one  side  and  the  wife  of  the  other,  or 
vice  veraa.  If  the  husband's  phratry  is  the  Eagle, 
lus  wife's  must  be  that  of  the  Crow.  Any  one  of 
ul  ^'^iT."^  sub-totems  may  cross  over  to  the 
line  of  sub-totems  of  the  Eagle  division  and  seek 
a  wife,  and  vice  versa.  But  no  one  of  the  Crow 
ine  can  take  a  partner  in  marriage  from  any  of 
the  totems  of  that  division  or  phratry,  even  though 
they  are  utter  strangers  and  no  blood  relation. 

divisfo^  as  these  belong  to  the  same  grand 

A  valuable  pamphlet  by  Mr.  J.  E.  Frobese,  at 
one  time  curator  of  the  Sheldon  Jackson  Museum 

flu    /'  ^^"*''^'  ?!'"'*  *•>«  following  interesting 

table  of  marnageable  possibilities: 

Man's  Totem  Woman's  Totem 

gag'e  Crow 

Bear  Beaver 

S?^  Frog 

2?ae  Salmon 

Shark  Seal 

A  subject  so  deep  and  intricate  merits  and  re- 
quires something  more  than  a  mere  glimpse  of 
totem  poles  from  the  deck  of  a  steamer  to  qualify 
one  to  pass  on  it.  Totemism  is  something  more 
tHan  a  mere  idle  and  meaningless  whim  of  an  ie- 
norant  people.  With  the  natives  of  Alaska,  it  is 
the  foundation  of  their  entire  social  structure  and 
a  tangible  expression  of  their  belief.  Its  impor- 
tance among  them  can  scarcely  be  exaggerated. 
It  expresses  their  belief  in  the  kinship  of  men  and 
f.°™als,  and  had,  doubtless,  its  origin  in  the  be- 
ll of  the  animal  ancestry  of  man.  Those  of 
tne  JLagle  division  claim  to  have  sprung  from  the 


ITS 


i-:l^ 


TOTEMISM 


Thpilf  k".-"^*?  ".f  Darwinians  to  tho  very  letter 

was  takPn  t"  ♦!  •       -"^    ^^®  ^^^  '>"'°a°-    She 
Mr.  William  Duncan,  the  "  Apostle  of  Alaska  « 

adopted  to  distinguish  clans'"'''  '^'^  '°*''°'  ""''' 
"  th«t  'f\o*'*  improbable,"  writes  Professor  Ball 
inated  i^  I  dr«.ll°°J'  "^  '^«*^'"'  "^  totems  origl 
triSZr^Ss^Vr/S.^"^'  "'^'^  *"  '^-^  *^' 

0bfeSa^irStlSin13r''^"n*  ^^^^  <='"- 
of  the  firm  opiLtX^TotlStttTtsTri^^ 


/ 


ORIGIN  OP  TOTEMISM  173 

in  the  belief  of  an  animal  anccbtry,  and  that  the 
di8t.ngu.8lung  of  elan.,  the  effort  to  preven?  war 
and  the  knitting  of  tn'bes  more  closely  together 
fo  lowed  as  a   consequence  from  its  adoption 
rather  than  suggesting  it.  »u"pnon, 

Totemism  not  only  controls  marriap-es   but  in 
dica  es  the  rank  and  caste  of  people     The  h"ke; 

The  nor.P°M'''J'^'"'*«'  *»'«  °'«°  who  own!  it! 
The  people  of  the  Hootz  (brown  bear)  family!  or 
Keet  (grampus)  family  are  considered  superior 
fnr^}Tf  ^V"^  ^^-'^^^J  "«■  Cinch >g  (frog^ 
SLf»H  ?»•'''«  ?«««rablies  places  of  holoiar  afe 
infiri  according  to  rank  (totem).    In  daily 

inJi^  "?\f ^-"Pl^  "^  *"«t«d  and  respected  "(^ 
ZtX,"  """■  ^""^^y  t"*^""-  Those  of  an  i^ 
JhnlJ  f     "^  are  very  careful  how  they  speak  to 

iSrie«  tnf-f"P'"''',°"'-  ^  ^^'  settlement  of  in° 
The^i  T'""  P'?y'  *  ^^'•y  important  part. 
The  man  of  a  superior  totem  is  always  awarded 
higher  damages  tlian  one  of  an  inferior  crest.  In 
a  drunken  orgy  a  woman  had  hor  eye  goueed  out 

quarrel,  had  her  finger  so  injured  as  to  necessitate 
Its  amputation.  The  one  who  lost  her  eye  be- 
cause low-caste,  or  of  inferior  totem,  wa7^ven 
orher*w  '»"'»'^'?d  dollars  damages  while  the 
other   being  a  high-caste  or  of  superior  totem 

H  Jh  *3,T  ^""^T^,  ^^^  «."'°^''t  to  •'e  spent  on  the 
nW;T  l"*"!'?,^"  '■^'^'^^  8'  a  feast;  the  para- 
phernalia he  ghall  wear  at  a  dance,  the  voice  he 
shall  have  in  public  affairs,  the  size  of  his  hou^ 
the  esteem  m  which  he  is  held,  the  naming  of 
children  and  native  hospitality.  ''"mmg  01 

It  serves  as  a  fraternal  means  to  bind  them 


1T4 


TCTEMISM 


M»    f^  ^^\T  ^^'  «°^  t»  separate  them 
on  the  other,  and  to  mark  friends  from  foes.    AU 

«nA  1*"°^  ^J^"*  ?"*«'"'<'  <ii^8ion  are  friends 
and  the  home  of  one  is  practically  the  home  of  the 
other.  No  matter  where  they  L  those  of  thei^ 
totem  kindly  receive  them  anJ  show  them  th^ 
warmest  hospitaUty.  Those  of  an  opposite  totem 
7^  1^7  ^7  "'**  ^  regarded  as  enemies,  yet 
for  a"ny  tti'^P''"  "^  '"^"'^«'  ^'^  -"«<^  «P- 
A  woman  of  a  superior  totem,  or  caste,  thouirh 

ttnT/r '"'"  "."i^'  "^^^^'^^  and'deepestlegrad^ 
tion,  IS  respected,  and  were  she  to  die,  would  be 
deeply  mourned  and  have  a  costly  burial;  her 
sister  of  an  inferior  totem,  though  she  had  lived 
an  immaculate  life,  would  receive  scant  recomt 

her^'/pni"^":?  'W^^'  ^"'^Whave  few  to  mofm 
her  death  and  a  shabby  burial.  "  uiu 

That^^TJ^^^i^f  *^^  disposition  of  the  dead. 
r«Z\^  the  same  totem  as  the  deceased  must  not 

th^ti^-^ *"'.'?'*'  ™^^"'8  ^^^  coffin,  carrying 
the  remains  to  the  grave,  digging  the  irave  and 
covering  It  up,  or  any  other  tfin|  reqm^ed!  must 
be^done  by  those  of  the  opposite  totL  from  the 

Guebts  must  be  those  of  an  opposite  totem  from 
the  one  giving  the  feast,  and  they  are  seated  a^ 
eordmg  to  caste,  or  totem.  ^  ""^ 

Totemism  proclaims  to  the  world  who  are  the 

children  taking  their  mother's  totem.    It  reg^ 

if?L'^p^^*'Tr''*"'°.*°."'«'^«  °f  the  propeffy 
?ti  „  J  ?  •  ^^  P™,««'tes  hospitality  and  sociabil- 
ity, and  is  a  spur  to  ambition  and  thrift.  Many 
a  man  has  laboured  and  saved  in  order  to  erect 


THINGS  TOTEMISM  GOVERNS  176 

f),r^l"^  *°*^'V  P°'^'  °'".  *°  8i^«  a  Wg  feast,  or  to 
throw  some  glory  on  his  family  crest. 

Totemism  binds  them  together  for  mutual  help 

«id  protection     Every  member  of  a  man's   otem 

18  ready  to  contribute  of  his  means  and  strength 

c?est?ot  f^r*^  ^  '^'  "^  ''''^-  The  coSed 
r»«H^  -f  ^^^'^  ^^"'^  *°*«°ii«  division  stand 
n  Ai  "^''^^^ai'  °  nieet  the  Uabilities  of  any 
OM^  belongmg  to  their  side  of  the  great  Thiing"  t 

loZ^^f™'^™  is  recorded  history,  genealogy, 
legend,  memonal,  commemoration  and  art 
.  The  totem  pole  is  but  one  of  the  many  exDres- 
sions  of  totemism.  Everything  the  naLe  pos- 
iTJ-'  '"^""-^^  ^t^"""''  ^^^^  his  person  carries 
iialibut  hook,  or  a  paddle,  a  spoon,  a  bracelet  or 
totem  on  It.    Why?    Because  everything  he  uses 

tTZ^'^  "^^^  ^t  P"*'°°  friend  and  protector! 
be  it  eagle,  crow,  bear  or  wolf.    If  he  puts  the 

hdrhim  to  r"*'""  r  "^^  ^^"•'"t  hooK  wm 

Help  him  to  have  good  success;  on  his  paddle  to 
go  safely  over  the  deep;  on  his  spoon,  to  protert 
h™faLTy.^"''°°°'''  ^°°^''  ''^  ^'^  1^»"««.  t°  Wess 
r^n^o^l®  family  crests  are  represented  not  only  on 

Sis'  on*r  *''"  ^'■°°!.'  °'  *'°"«^«'  "^  the  interior 
3".  .fuP'"?;?'^  of  canoes  and  practically  all 
articles  used  by  the  natives 

no^l^fi"^''!?'''-/''  '^?°<''  ^t''^®'  '«>°e,  horn,  cop- 
per, gold  and  silver  bears  totemic  designs  So 
with  moccasms,  baskets  and  blankets.    In  this  all 

hTlt.^  the  burial  grounds  of  natives  may  now 
be  seen  marble  monuments  (white  man  totem) 


m 


TOTEMISM 


with  the  salmon,  the  grampus  and  other  totemio 
figures  chiselkd  on  them.  Not  a  few  nativeSe 
tattooed  on  their  person  their  totemic  patron 
.iZ^T  '8  no  object  in  the  Northland  of  greater 
attraction  to  the  tourist,  and  none  which  awakens 
so  much  speculation,  as  the  totem  pole  When  a 
steamer  lands  at  a  native  village,  about  the  first 
Of'^tL^^M"""'*'  ^'^  t°  «««  «r«  the  totem  poles 
h^itorir/^'r^  ^'■^  ^°"'"  "lasses-the  genealorical' 
S^S  (SUXT^T""^^>'  le/endar/an1 

g^Mrot^'e^-vLr^^^^^^^^^ 

Shif  \h^T-f*.''%r^^^°^  "^  the  fam"; 
witnm.  The  wife's  totem  crowns  the  ton  Tipvt 
the  husband's  and  so  on  down.  Any  nat  ve'walk 
ing  a  ong  and  seeing  the  pole  can  tell  at  a  Xnce 
the  clan  of  the  mother,  which  is  the  niSng  one 
of  the  house  From  this  he  will  know  whether  or 
not  he  would  be  welcome  to  enter  and  Itey  there 

nrJio    I,  ®  1^""'^'  S!"-    ^«  ^e  reads  on  down  the 
SSeLia.*"^  *°*^'^''  "*""*<'«''-  of  the 
;.v,^r  ®  historic  or  commemorative  pole,  as  the  term 
Mnphes,   recounts   some   special   and   hnpoS 
the   b/,f  '^^".^^i  ^y  the  owner  of  the  pffin 
the   history    of   the   particular   family   or    the 
chieftam  of  the  house.    Usually  such^events  as 
thrilling  conflicts  with  man  and  beast  and  mnr 
agpous  triumphs  are  chronicled  on  these  monu 
ments  for  the  consideration  of  future  generations" 
The  legendary  pole,  as  the  term  indicates   r^ 
ates  some  happy  legend  particularly  prized  bv 
the  clan  of  the  one  who  has  erected  I    Not  only 
are  there  legends,  but  songs,  that  are  pecul Lr  to 


TOTEM  POLE  WORKMANSHIP  177 

each  clan,  and  the  members  or  votaries  of  nnn 
otThe^Xr '"^^"^  ^°  "««  '"^^  legeSaVsX' 
feSSZTh^'/''  '"."rtuary  pole,  as  may  be  in- 
buria&nd  fn  tr- "  ^  '"°°°i««°t  erected  in  the 
uunai  ground  to  the  memory  of  the  dead     It  n»n 

menial,  value.    In  some  mstances  thev  are  vaIupIi 
oi±?^  °y  ^^"'"  ^'^""^^''d  dollars  each.    Thiy  are 

At  Kbnquan  are  great  slab  foundations  of  an- 


178 


TOTEMISM 


cient  mammoth  communal  houses.    On  the  por- 

wn^L°S*H'!  "'^''^  ^'^>b'«  to  the  eye  ^y  be  seen 
wonderful  totem.c  ca,   ings,  showing  that  uolden 

A  number  of  houses  are  yet  seen  with  the  totem 
ThP  L^ir^'-^r*"*^  "-^  <^^^d  o'l  the  front  gabl^ 

IS  aoote-hit  '  (Brown  bear-house) :  of  the  orra 
and^T^'  '^-'-''''"  (Whale!iTous'e); 
«,'^^!i,'""^.^  ^^^^  «°d  tlie  grampus  are  consid 

Sesi'sttT n;^'."'^  ''  Pr ^"  Ve'croTthe 
mgnest  sjTnbol  of  wisdom,  and  the  eagle,  of  nene 

carfaS:  ^"  "'  *^^^«  •"«  -" '-  °f  S- 
siif  ^r^  (ioofeeew)  and  the  snail  (talk)  are 

eafroft:txrmSr'^«"-'-<^«-?^« 
£r  rr  "  -  ^^^^^^^  s -rer-ft 

pole  as  high  or  as  elaborate  as  that  of  a  hf<^h»r 

stameTihi'^i^"""'''  "^  coVsSred  "a '"gS 
Ind  his  pT«^  ^'^^i""  '!'*^  ^'°th«^.  ^  insult  he 
and  Jiis  clan  would  not  permit.    listancea  havo 

When  a  totem  is  crowned  with  a  hat,  the  num 
ber  of  rings  on  top  of  the  hat  indicate  the  nnmW 
of  miportant  feasts  the  ownerC  Sen 


.NtlMKROUS    CURICIS 


CLAN  EMBLEMS  179 

*nw  ^f  °'  "  ™e«i^f  ?f  a  clan,  can  adopt  the 
totem  of  another  clan  with  impunity.  Wars  have 
been  precipitated  by  such  attempts.  Less  than  a 
S^  T^:  "°®  ?''?"  ?  Sitka  raised  the  Frog 
totem  which  was  claimed  by  another  phratry  than 
the  one  to  which  the  clan  appropriating  it  be- 
Sfn  '^r'i  *'*?'''•'  ensued  and  bloodshed  was 
antffities  mterpositior  of  the  Federal 

v,-ltfr»r  t"  ^^°  ^  audacious  native  of  the  Auk 
^^fA       J™.«au  had  the  grampus  elaborately 
painted  on  the  inside  of  the  back  wall  of  his  house 
This  httle  piece  of  art  originally  cost  him  six 
hundred  dollars;  but  before  he  was  through  with 
filW?x.  ^™  ™°'=li  '°°'-e-    A  terrible  commotion 
as  his  crest.    The  row  was  on  for  a  long  time 
Ja^nt."^"''  ^''  ^^"^  ^^"'^-^  ^y  ^^^y 
«^n^I?l°'*^®  "f^*""^  assigned  for  the  original 
least     ThpK-T'*'  V  ^^«F««ting,  to  say  the 
Jtl  ;■    1       Kok-won-tons  claim  that  at  one  time 
ber  of*^  L?°t'".*^  ^"^I"'''-"  assistance  to  a  mem! 
IZu     w     P^"*''^'  f  l»o  "»  time  turned  into  an 
^-   ^^"""^  *>"'  adoption  of  this  crest, 
ine  le-qoe-dy  claim  the  grizzly-bear  for  the 
reason  that  a  member  of  their  clan  married  a 
female   grizzly.    The   Kok-won-tons   also   claim 
this  as  one  of  their  crests,  affirming  that  they  ™ 

Shifi '  "'^^^  *° "  ^^'"""^^  ^""^  ^y  t^«  ™  0^ 

1„  wa^^^'f'^f  "^  '^  ^^  important  crest  of  the  Duck- 
TW^  ^"^^P.^-  ^/«°<'''  °f  tl'e  Eagle  phratry. 
They  adopted  this  for  the  reason  that  one  of  thef; 

of  a'n?/i'  ^'  ?,"*  »'r  P"^  '^«t  «^«r  existed  out 
Of  a  piece  of  yellow  cedar.    The  Kok-won-tons  arq 


180 


TOTEMISM 


privileged  to  use  this  crest  also.  The  irreat  leader 
and  speaker  of  the  Kok-won-tons  at  sX  tuSd 

fntoth'/sf^'^S'^'l"'  ^^.""P"^  high-casteTat) 
into  the  Sheldon  Jackson  Museum  at  Sitka  where 

fh^t  in-s-tltuL^  "^'''-^^  "^^-^^  ---^^ 

Z7ir%V:if'T  'T  b«f°re  they  couR 
fromi'uHTlT  ^-^H^  discovered  that  it  came 
from  a  little  frog  in  the  stem  of  their  canoe.    The 

for  /r?*'':^'  *"'^"'^  ^y  t*'^  ^o°'«'>  and  cared 
orCliJ^'-uSes."""  '"^^  '"^^  •«  *^«  -Wem 

G^nfik  MVilr"^  ''  *^*  particular  crest  of  the 
lia-nuk-kades  since  a  woman  of  their  tribe 
^""^^^^^^^^e^^^^ry  woodworm.  ^ 

teS  ?ntf^^  ^^^^^  originated  the  crest  sys- 
^^.fa  f  i!^""'?™'  °'  ''0"owed  them,  we  have  no 
means  of  knowing.    But  there  are  good  reasons 

tromtT^LY  the  Th,i„gets  bof rowed  them 
trom  the  Jydahs.  Those  living  near  thpm  and 
having  the  most  to  do  with  the  Hydahs,  have  tM 
most  totem  poles  whereas  the  farther  away  you 
find  them  from  the  Hydahs  the  fewer  they^have 
and  the  meaner  they  are.   Then,  too,  the  Thlinirets 

HvdXc*  kT^  '^'^^^^  .totemic' workmen  as  iSe 
Hydahs,  but  are  mere  imitators. 


xvm 

LEGENDS 

THE  myths  and  legends  of  the  Thlingets  are 
,P*'?-x,.A8  they  have  no  written  languaee, 
all  of  their  egendary  lore  is  handed  down 
to  postenty  orally  and  in  totemio  characters. 
*  rom  time  immemonal  the  people  have  been  fond 
of  relating  their  folk-lore,  so  that  most  of  their 
legends  are  kept  fresh  in  the  minds  of  all.* 

■Mothers  and  grandmothers  are  much  given  to 
relating  legends  to  the  children.  Many  of  them 
are  told  to  point  a  moral  and  to  influence  children 
to  obey.  Samuel  Davis,  a  native,  writes:  "  One 
old  man  begins:  '  Once  a  little  boy  was  all  the 
time  playing;  when  his  parents  told  him  to  do 
anythmg  he  would  not  obey;  he  would  have  his 

Sn  '^^-  *^°®^^^^.  ^^^  ^y  oan'e  home  about 
dark  His  grandfather  told  him  this  world  was 
as  sharp  as  a  knife;  a  little  boy  might  slip  upon 

vHulT'ltt^  ''lil"  *'""'  '"".  *■"  gathering  of  our  people  st  their 
J;;T.-'  """,  ^'"S,»™y  'of  'uPPIIm  or  food  and  other  thinm 
for  their  comfort.  It  ia  the  time  ^ven  for  feastinK  and  DavhS 
for  woric  done  for  the  dead.    Almost  every  night  the^eis'^S 

SeMHn  t?  f"Y  '™?""J?  P'P**'-  T"-™  "  "  that  L  old 
people  get  m  their  stones  to  the  children,  all  sitting  around  the 
evening  Are  after  Bupper."-Samuel  Davis!  ^  ° 

At  the  funeral  of  Chiefs  the  traditions  and  historv  of  the 
tribe  are  rehearsed."-"  Alaska,"  by  -  .eldon  JacksSi    p7ge  90 
charlJw  CJ'J^'T'  '".  o"l  m>..ology  of  the  most  ^bu"ou. 
W  Cj^.pa^t?.  "^  '""'"  *°  »on.»_"Alaska,"  by  ML 

181 


lai 


LEGENDS 


it  any  time  if  not  careful.  With  that  fho  h^r. 
and  It  became  swollen  Md  painful  Th«  not/^°'' 
(It  was  a  t  me  when  people  made  slaves^  Thf^ 

wmmms 

again  he  said!"  No  °  ^Th»  <S  *"  ^l^^  ««"oe,  but 
three  times  to  persuade  3he  boy  to?o  f""  *'^°« 

th?b^TanJ''iH^raro'rhirrf^r 

"raV't^  •->-  °o-f  ^Td^/asThey  I  e   oTd  - '^ 

wentrwn^t^?i;xTxi-:i:d-r£ 


LEGEND  OF  CROW  AND  DEER         183 

of  the  ocean  and  went  to  the  house  of  sculpin 
which  was  under  a  rock,  and  said  to  it,  "My 
younger  brother,  this  is  you,  is  it  I  "  Snulpin  dis- 
owned him  as  such.  Yalkth  insisted  that  he  was 
his  older  brother.  The  sculpin  said,  "  I  cannot 
be  your  younger  brother  for  I  am  a  very  old  per- 
son.'' The  Crow  answered:  "  I  want  you  to  be 
next  to  me.  There  will  be  many  sculpins,  but  you 
shall  bo  the  head  one."  So  the  mighty  Crow 
threw  sculpin  up  into  the  bky,  where  he  is  now 
seen  (the  Pleiades  or  the  Dipper). 

So  to  one  who  boasts  that  ho  knows  because  he 
IS  old.  It  IS  said,  "  If  sculpin  could  not  make  Crow 
believe  that  he  was  so  old,  neither  can  you  mak. 
us  believe  that  you  are  so  old  and  know  so  much  " 
Natives  say  of  a  hypocritical  mourner  at  a 
tuneral,  "  He  is  acting  ns  Crow  did  when  he  killed 
his  fnend,  the  deer."   The  story  goes  that  Yalkth 
saw  a  nice  fat  deer,  and  said  to  it,  "  My  friend 
this  is  yon,  is  itf  "    He  then  invited  the  deer  to 
cross  a  deep  canyon  on  a  rotten  log.    The  deer 
objected  because  he  saw  that  the  log  was  rotten. 
Yalkth  walked  across  it  to  convince  his  friend  that 
it  would  bear  him.    The  deer  then  attempted  to 
cross,  but  the  log  broke  and  he  fell  to  the  bottom 
of  the  canyon  and  was  killed.    Yalkth  then  went 
down  and  feasted  on  him.    After  gorging  himself, 
he  pretended  to  be  very  sorry  for  the  deer  and 
claimed  that  the  wild  animals  had  devoured  him. 
Stories  are  told  to  rebuke  and  discourage  one 
who  shows  an  ambition  to  marry  another  of  a 
higher  caste ;  to  inculcate  honesty,  thrift  and  self- 
respect;  to  warn  husbands  to  be  good  to  their 
wives  lest  they  should  lose  them;  to  keep  girls 
from  acting  foolishly,  etc. 
Many  of  their  legends  assume  to  explain  the 


IM 


LEGENDS 


origin  of  thingrg  and  the  mysteries  of  ex'stinir  phe- 
r°T*i'-/.?'"'.*^"'  °^  **•«  Teation  of  the  world, 
mffiy  cJeator""°'°"  '•""gina'-y  bird)  is  the 
Otlier  legends  claim  to  give  ns  the  origin  of 
man,  of  the  sun,  moon  and  stars,  of  the  whale- 
killer  and  of  other  animals. 

For  example,  the  origin  of  the  iniquitous  little 
nosquito  IS  thus  given:  There  was  in  ancient 
times  a  great  giant,  cruel  and  very  bloodthirsty. 
His  passion  was  to  kill  men,  drink  their  blood 
and  eat  their  hearts. 

Many  men  tried  to  kill  the  giant,  but  were  un- 
able to  do  BO  until  this  plan  was  conceived:  A 
man  pretended  to  be  dead  and  lay  down  on  his 
blanket  The  giant  came  along  and  saw  him.  He 
felt  of  the  man's  flesh  and  found  that  b-?  was  still 
warm.  Then  he  began  to  gloat  over  hini  and  say, 
,  ^,)^?'' *"*  '"8  ^eart  and  drink  his  blood."  So 
he  lifted  up  the  man,  who  allowed  his  head  to 
hang  dowTQ  just  as  if  he  were  dead,  and  carryinjr 
mm  into  his  house  laid  him  down,  and  then  went 
on  some  errand. 

Immediately  the  man  jumped  up  and  seized  a 
bov  and  arrow.  Just  then  the  son  of  the  want 
came  in,  and  he  pointod  the  arrow  at  the  boy's 
head  and  asked  him  where  his  father's  heart  was 
and  threatened  to  kill  him  if  he  did  not  tell.  The 
boy  answered  that  Lis  father's  heart  was  in  his 

Then  the  giant  came  in  and  the  man  shot  the 
arrow  through  his  heel.  Just  as  the  giant  was 
dying,  he  said:  "Though  you  burn  me,  I  will 
still  eat  you."  ' 

After  the  giant  was  dead  the  body  was  cre- 
mated.   Then  the  man,  in  derision,  took  the  ashes 


ORIGIN  OF  WHALE  TRIP'^  igg 

and  threw  them  to  the  windfl.    But  each  particle 
of  the  ashes  became  a  mosquito.  F«"^m.iB 

f„w*hl'^  every  tnbe  has  some  legend  accounting 
for  the  ongin  of  their  people  """ujj 

f.M ' V"*^°  °'  "'"  ^'"*'«  '"•'e  is  thus  briefly 
told:  Many   many  years  ago,  a  young  Stickeen 

^^hT^'l,''''^?'''^  ^y  oarving  a  smalf  image  of 
a  whale  and  sailing  it  about  on  the  water.    The 

sport  was  quietly  indulged  in  from  time  to  time 

away,     ihe  boy  was  surprised  and  nlarmed   of 

hartaken'l.'T  '^T  *,M*"  ^is  parents^fljha 
Had  taken  place.    His  father  and  mother  jrrown 

oZ  fh„  ^tt  ^■'"'  ^"^  Pf  ««?'^  °^"  them!  L^w  at 
once  that  their  son  was  destine-'  to  become  a  great 
man  he  was  to  be  the  father  of  a  new  tribe  that 
an^'tT'^V*""?"^  throughout  the  land  g^ea 
and  powerful  And  so  we  find  it  to-dav 
Branches  of  the  Whale  tribe  are  to  be  found  ^' 
?nT^^ll''^^''  *""?  wherever  found  they  are  abS 
to  hold  their  own  in  the  affairs  of  life 

The  totem  of  the  Da-se-ton'  of  Kiiu'snoo  is  the 
beaver.  Some  of  the  tribe  captured  a  small 
beaver  and  kept  it  as  a  pet.  In  time  it  began  to 
compose  songs.  One  day  the  masters  o^f  the 
h«nX/  '^'^/,7°,^''f''F""y  '=^^^^  salmon-spear 
Thp«l  w?"'  *^^  ?°^^°*  "  ^'^^  ^y  «  salmon  stream. 
«„wM  1^  carried  home,  and  when  the  beaver 
saw  them  he  claimed  that  he  made  them.  Some- 
Ihing  was  said  that  otfended  him,  when  he  begmi 
to  sing  songs  like  a  person.  While  he  was  doing 
tins  he  seized  a  spear  and  thrust  it  throuirh  his 
master's  chest,  killing  him  instantly.  Then  he 
threw  his  tail  down  upon  the  ground  Md  the  earth 


>   1 


LEGENDS 

on  which  that  house  stood  caved  in.  The  beaver 
had  dug  the  earth  out  from  under  it.  It  is  from 
this  incident  that  the  Da-se-ton  claim  the  beaver 
as  their  crest. 

The  wolf  is  the  crest  of  the  Kok-won-ton'  tribe. 
There  are  two  versions  of  how  the  wolf  came  to 
be  adopted  as  their  totem.  One  is  that  a  member 
of  the  tribe  met  a  wolf  with  a  bone  in  his  mouth. 
"  What  makes  you  so  lucky?  "  asked  the  man. 
The  wolf  turned  and  fled.  The  following  night  he 
dreamed  that  he  came  to  a  very  fine  village,  the 
village  of  the  Wolf  people.  The  wolf  he  had 
spoken  to  the  previous  day  came  to  him  and  told 
him  something  to  malte  him  very  lucky,  saying, 
"  I  am  your  friend."  He  was  very  thankful  for 
the  kind  treatment  of  the  man.  For  this  reason 
the  Kok-won-tons  have  used  the  wolf  for  their 
crest. 

The  other  version  is  that  the  man  met  with 
some  monster  wolves  while  out  hunting.  One 
spoke  up  and  told  the  others  not  to  kill  him,  and 
for  this  reason  the  wolf  is  now  the  tribal  totem. 
The  earthquake  is  thus  explained:  Uuderneath 
the  earth  stands  an  ola  woman  in  a  bent  position. 
On  her  back  rests  a  pillar  and  on  top  of  this  rests 
the  earth.  Ydlkth,  in  an  evil  mood,  tries  to  shove 
tiie  old  woman  from  her  position.  She  topples 
but  does  not  fall.  When  she  topples  this  causes 
the  earth  to  quake.  If  ever  Yalkth  succeeds  in 
pushing  her  down,  the  world  will  come  to  an  end. 
The  name  of  this  Thlinget  Atlas  is  Ed-ta-y8  sha- 
nuk'ko  (old-woman-under). 

The  Thunder  Bird,  by  flapping  his  wings  or 
even  by  moving  one  of  his  quills,  causes  the 
thunder,  and  the  wink  of  his  eye  produces  the 
lightning. 


TOPKNOT  OF  BLUEJAY  137 

.  The  reason  why  human  beings  die  is  exDlainpH 
m  th,s  manner:  The  young  CrSw  endeavouSto 
make  man  out  of  rock  and  out  of  a  leaf  at  the  same 
time,  but  the  rock  was  slow  while  the  leaf  w^s 
very  quick  Therefore  human  beings  came  from 
the  leaf,  and  because  leaves  wither  and  die  therf 
fore  men  grow  old,  wrinkle  and  die.  ' 

lUe  bluejay  came  thus  by  his  topknot-  Yalkth 

The  latter,  becommg  angry  at  this,  had  the  bold- 
ness to  goto  Yalkth  and  upbra  d  him  for  it 

Sd  fhp'"^  ^'P'  by  the  feathers  of  his^ead  and 
pulled  them  up  m  a  bunch. 

The  story  goes  that  a  liian  and  his  wife  were 

ivmg  at  a  certain  fort.    Disease  had  destroyed 

their  re  atiyes,  and  they  thought  to  give  a  great 

feast  in  their  memory.    One  day  an  iceberg  flS 

near  their  dwelling     They  took  it  in  and^rea  ed 

and  disC'nf  ^^""^^  oil  was  poured  into  the  fire, 
and  dishes  of  berries  and  other  food  were  placed 
before  it.  The  ice  gave  forth  a  squeak  that  could 
f  fv.^^"°^^",*<'°'''  •'"t  ^^s  really  an  invitXn 
to  the  dead  relatives  to  partake  of  the  feast  For 
this  reason  when  an  iceberg  drifts  near  a  ca^oe 
f  °?f"P?°ts  «'ve  it  tobacco,  saying,  "  Oh-^et- 

Myths  and  legends  were  the  first  efforts  of 

trude  as  some  of  them  are,  they  yet  evince  the 
awakening  of  human  thought.  The  myth  builders 
were  the  primitive  philosophers.  While  in  manv 
mstances,  their  legends  arJ^absurd,  yet  we  sS 

thevw' *'^''-  ^P  T.  •^""'='«'"'  reme':^bering  tS 
they  were  originated  out  of  ignorance.  Thiy  ap- 
peared reasonable  to  the  people  of  their  aje 


188 


LEGENDS 


else  they  would  not  have  been  so  influenced  hj 
them. 

The  Thlingets  have  legends  of  notable  events, 
as,  for  instance,  of  a  flood,  from  which  only  a  few 
people  were  saved.  These  became  separated, 
hence  the  diversity  of  speech  among  them.  The 
Mount  Ararat  of  this  flood  is  located  not  far  from 
Shakan  on  Prince  of  Wales  Island. 

Numerous  are  their  legends  of  wonderful  ex- 
ploits.  Let  it  suffice  to  instance  only  two  or  three : 

Two  brothers  were  hunting  when  they  killed  a 
porpoise.  While  skinning  it  as  their  c  moe  moved 
along,  they  saw  a  devilfish  approaching.  At  once 
they  prepared  to  battle  with  the  monster,  one  of 
them  handling  a  spear  and  the  other  a  sharp  knife. 
When  the  devilfish  canle  to  the  surface  and 
reached  out  his  tentacles  to  embrace  them,  he  was 
such  a  horrid-looking  creature  that  the  man  who 
held  the  knife  became  frightened  and  jumped 
right  into  his  mouth.  He  was  swallowed  up  so 
quickly  that  he  could  do  nothing.  This  left  the 
brother  with  the  spear  to  fight  the  monster  single- 
handed.  He  succeeded  in  killing  him,  but  not  until 
after  the  octopus  had  entwined  his  slimy  arms 
around  his  canoe ;  so  when  the  dead  monster  began 
to  sink  he  took  the  canoe  with  him,  too.  However, 
in  due  time  they  all  floated  up  on  a  narrow  point. 
Here  the  devilfish  was  cut  open,  when  lo,  the  man 
that  was  swallowed  was  found  alive  and  none  the 
worse  for  his  tenancy  in  the  monster's  belly. 

A  certain  man  caught  two  whales  and  tried  to 
swim  ashore  with  them.  After  swimming  all  night 
he  succeeded  in  landing  them.  But  when  he  did 
so  the  raven  called  and  he  died.  When  the  raven 
croaked  his  wife  knew  what  had  happened,  but 
she  would  not  go  out  of  the  house  to  see  her  dead 


TOTEM  IN  PIONEER  SQUARE,  SEATTLE  189 

husband.    Her  mother,  however,  discovered  the 
two  whales  and  the  dead  husband,  who  had  now 
turned  into  a  monster,  lying  on  the  beach.    Soon 
all  the  people  heard  about  the  strange  creature 
lying  with  the  whales  and  went  to  see  it.    At  last 
the  wife,  who  was  a  chief's  daughter,  went  out 
to  the  place,  crying  as  she  went.    The  people  were 
astonished  at  her  conduct,  and  asked:  ''What 
does  that  high-caste  girl  mean  by  calling  the  mon- 
ster her  husband?  "    As  soon  as  the  girl  came 
near  her  mother  she  said:  "Where  are  your 
spirits  now?    You  do  not  speak  the  truth.    You 
say  that  you  have  spirits    ,.  en  yor  i-we  none. 
It  you  had,  this  would  not  have  happened  to  my 
husband  "     The  people  became  very  much  ex- 
cited and  listened  with  great  interest  to  the  jrirl 
as  she  talked  to  her  mother.   Finally  the  widowed 
girl  said  to  the  people,  "  Some  of  you  that  are 
clean  come  and  help  me."    Her  husband  had  died 
m  the  act  of  holding  the  jaws  of  the  monster 
apart.   When  the  people  recognized  this  they  were 
more  surprised  than  ever,  and  said,  "  He  must 
have  been  captured  by  that  remarkable  creature." 
Many  of  these  legends  of  wonderful  exploits 
are  recorded  on  totem  poles.     The  totem  now 
standing  m  Pioneer  Square  in  the  city  of  Seattle 
gives  the  tale  of  a  devoted  girl  who  lost  her  life 
m  an  attempt  to  reach  the  bedside  of  her  dvinjr 
sister.     The  latter  lived  far  away  on  the  Nass 
mer.    As  soon  as  the  sister  in  health  heard  of 
her  condition,  she  set  out  on  the  long  journey  to 
see  the  dying  one,  but  her  frail  canoe  was  upset 
on  the  nver  and  she  was  drowned.    The  totem 
■""38  erected  m  honour  of  this  brave  sister 

Many  queer  legends  are  recorded  on  the  totems 
erected  mside  of  the  houses. 


pr-TT  .fc 


190 


LEGENDS 


On  one  of  these  slabs  in  a  house  at  Kluckwan, 
a  man  is  depicted  in  violent  action  among  beasts 
The  explanation  is  that  a  certain  man,  impelled 
by  taunts,  determined  to  become  very  strong.  To 
this  end  he  exercised  and  exposed  himself  to  the 
nigged  elements.  He  would  get  out  of  bed  very 
early  m  the  morning,  break  icicles  from  the  eaves 
of  the  house,  place  them  under  his  arms  and  then 
stand  in  the  cold  water  of  the  river.  He  would 
then  call  for  the  Cold  (believing  it  to  have  per- 
sonahty)  to  come  from  the  north.  Finally  he  be- 
came strong  enough  to  break  the  strong  part  of 
a  tough  tree.  Then,  in  time,  he  went  out  to  fight 
with  whales.  He  would  catch  them  by  the  tails 
and  tear  their  tails  apart.  Finally  he  tore  the 
?tomach  out  of  one,  inflated  it  and  got  inside  of 
it  and  floated  off,  no  one  knew  where. 
.While  floating  around  in  this  stomach  (Jonah- 
like), he  composed  songs,  which  are  now  used  as 
tribal  songs  by  his  tribe.  This  stomach  was 
tound  (according  to  the  story  of  the  people),  and 
became  the  property  of  his  tribe.  They  kept  it 
many  years  and  finally  burned  it. 

In  the  same  village  with  this  curious  house 
totem  may  also  be  seen  a  large  mask,  the  image 
of  the  woman  who  adopted  the  worm.  She  suckled 
ttus  worm  as  she  would  a  babe,  and  raised  it. 
^^5®°  grown,  the  worm  went  under  the  houses 
and  shook  them  down  (an  earthquake,  pfirhaps). 
This  woman  composed  songs  that  now  belong  to 
the  Crow  tribe.  None  other  than  members  of  this 
tribe  can  use  these  songs. 

The  tribe  had  a  mask  made  to  represent  this 
remarkable  woman.  It  is  now  considered  a  very 
valuable  heirloom.  It  is  ugly,  yet  no  one  would 
be  allowed  to  make  fun  of  it. 


CONCERNING  MT.  EDGECUMBE        191 

nf^Khlkt"'"/*'""''".^'^  *hat  while  the  natives 

wno  adopted  the  worm,  yet  accordinir  to  their 
traditions  she  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  WranKell 

In  front  of  the  Sheldon  Jackson  SchooLafsUka 
there  is  a  large  rock  just  at  the  edge  of  hS 

W  toTi   ^'°^'  *•'•'''"»  *•'«  ^«'^  from  fhe 
town  to  Indian  river,  sit  on  this  rock  as  the  half- 

St?r,J»*'"^^P  «''?•.  Jt  i«  kno^  as  the  ''Blarney 
legends'  '"  »°terwoven  with  several  -nSan 

Mt.  Edgecumbe,  an  extinct  volcano  within 
twenty  miles  or  so  of  Sitka,  is  the  seat  of  s^erL^ 

*^*°  w-  1*  ^"  '='«™«<i  tliat  the  old  woman  who 
supports  the  world  on  her  shoulder8~  d^w^ 
this  volcano  to  the  underworld.  It  is  further  s^ 
that  Jsc;,aA  (the  great  Eagle)  picked  up  whaS 

It  certainly  is  a  very  inviting  spot  for  the  un- 
tutored mind  to  conjure  with.    To  the  tourist  tMs 

to° ee  On^°i'^r  '^""'"'^  ^'-^^^'^^^  ma^y *^^ks 
is  a  n^nrV  .f\^\'  ^"J'  "«•  ^^^^  ^^om  Sitka,  it 
18  a  pearl  of  beauty  adorning  the  landscape. 
«  1«L  wv°^*^'°.*°?  ^^''^  °f  Kluckwan  there  is 
mSs  Therf  I  ^™'t!?l .««»'««  of  niysteries  and 
^11  I,-  u  a'.e  certain  rocks  in  the  Chilkat 
nver  which  are  said  to  be  petrified  people  These 
people  belonged  to  the  Crow  tribe  and  were  com 

afaSv  t^f'T\^'  *'"  *™^  "f  this  f'arf^l 
calamity.  Just  why  they  met  with  this  fate  the 
writer  was  not  informed.  Perhaps  unguardedlv 
they  made  fun  of  some  object,  or  soile  foolish 
boast  as  to  what  they  could  do. 


I 


IM 


LEGENDS 


In  the  valley  back  of  the  town  of  Skagway  lives 
an  old  woman  with  a  wonderful  blowing  capacity. 
Ibis  18  why  the  winds  come  tearing  down  the 
valley  and  keep  the  ground  free  from  snow. 
Madam  Skoog^a  (Skagway  is  a  corruption  of 
this  word)  blows  it  all  away  when  she  pleases 
Pn^V'^r^'HS^?  ''°^  generally  known  the  leg- 
ThoLf  i^?  Thhngets  are  among  the  people. 
J-^hJ^^""  ''°'^}7  '«  ^"Se  and  communities 
are  widely  separated,  yet  the  entire  people  are 
familiar  with  these  legends. 

Naturally  the  traditions  will  vary  some  as  told 

,-™^/if  1*1  °°^^-    '°  substance,  however,  there 
IS  remarkable  agreement. 


XIX 

NATrv^E  JURISPRUDENCE 

IN  the  accepted  sense  of  the  term,  there  is  no 
such  thing  as  government  with  the  natives. 

l«w=  ;/  ^  ""!  "^  ^S"""*^'  •>*''*'  P°l'«®  '>or  statutory 
Jaws;  in  short,  nothing  corresponding  to  civilized 
government.  They  have  no  such  thing  as  tria's 
All  grievances,  offences  and  injuries  are  settled 
according  to  tribal  demand.  The  tribe  or  ckn 
™,f  up  Its  member's  cause,  and  settlements  are 
made  according  to  the  nature  of  the  offence  or 
injury,  and  'H  standing  of  the  injured.   The  tribe 

sf4  M&en?'  •^^^^"""'^^  *^^  «--*  — 

Wounded  feelings,  as  well  as  injuries  of  the 

IILZa  r^'^T  °^P'^°Pe'-.y  rights,  have  to 

be  atoned  for     Any  crime  may  be  paid  for  on  a 

rniL  ?f  ■''  ''".*  ""^'^^  ^^^y  usually  demand  life 
^oL^  'n  -'^  °°*  necessarily  the  life  of  the  mur- 
fn  f^;,-Ji  '?  ™°'«  oft<=n  the  life  of  another,  and 
an  entirely  innocent  person 

If  a  high-caste  native  kills  one  of  a  lower  caste 
It  IS  not  the  one  who  did  the  killing  that  is  taken! 
LlTiS'^"^^  m  Station  to  the  one  killed.  The 
same  holds  good  if  one  of  a  lower  caste  kills  one 
of  a  higher.    If  one  higher  than  the  .ne  killed 

If  a  woman  kills  a  man,  not  the  woman,  but 

183 


19« 


NATIVE  JURISPRUDENCE 


some  man  of  her  tribe  must  lo  taken,  as  a  woman 
18  not  considered  the  equal  of  a  man. 

If  a  man  kills  a  woman,  not  the  murderer,  but 
some  woman  of  his  tribe  is  taken. 

An  Indian  doctor,  while  drunk,  beat  the  head 
of  his  wife  to  a  pulp  with  a  club.  The  tribe  of 
the  murdered  woman  demanded  the  life  of  the  doc- 
tor s  sister.  These  substitutions  were  always 
bravely  assumed,  as  it  was  regarded  great  cow- 

wif  '"^T*^"®  ^.°  '^^^^^  t*""  office  of  substitute. 

When  this  sister  was  informed  that  she  was 
wanted,  she  boldly  surrendered  herself  to  be 
tailed.  In  this  case,  however,  the  opposite  tribe 
were  afraid  her  people  would  kill  more  of  them. 
80  the  case  was  settled  by  a  blanket  payment. 

This  was  generally  the  mode  of  settfement  when 
a  rich  or  high-caste  native  killed  one  much  in- 
terior to  himself. 

If  a  white  man  kills  a  native,  the  murdered 
man  s  friends  are  not  particular  as  to  what  white 
man  they  kill  in  turn,  so  they  get  one  whom  they 
deem  of  equal  station.  Some  years  ago,  at  Wran- 
geil,  a  drunken  row  between  United  States  soldiers 
and  natives  resulted  in  the  hanging  of  a  native. 
ibe  tnends  of  the  man  who  was  hanged  killed  an 
mnocent  trader.  In  another  case,  a  white  man 
and  his  wife  were  killed  by  natives  because  they 
could  not  account  for  the  sudden  disappearance 
of  two  of  their  number.  Because  of  this  custom, 
more  than  one  white  man  has  mysteriously  dis- 
appeared m  Alaska. 

Accidental  injuries,  or  killing  in  self-defence, 
must  be  atoned  for  precisely  the  same  as  if  pre- 
meditated.   A  youth  accidentally  shot  and  killed 
rather.     His  .ather's  tribe  immediately  de- 
manded the  hfe  of  the  youth  (father  and  son  are 


INSTANCES  OF  JURISPRUDENCE      19S 

'  *  opposite  tribe).  The  son  wns  willing  to  8ur- 
render  his  l.fe,  but  in  this  case  compassion  was 
shown  and  the  matter  settled  on  a  money  basis 

wear  Angoon,  some  vejrs  ago,  a  howitzer  of  a 
whaling  crew  burst  and  killed  one  or  two  natives 
that  were  "mployed  on  the  vessel.  The  natives 
in  turn  killed  two  white  men  for  the  accident 

A  drunken  native,  infatuated  with  a  girl,  made 
a  fiendish  attempt  to  ravish  her.   While  batterinK 

iLt  "■  ^°  u-n^TT  °"'  ^'«  •"■"*«'  purpose,  he  wai 
shot  and  killed  by  her  people.  For  thfs  justifiable 
piece  of  homicide,  a  man  had  to  pay  his  life,  and 
that  man  was  none  other  than  the  girl's  husband 
and  natural  protector. 

If  a  man  commits  suicide,  a  cause  is  always 
sought,  and  he  who  is  regarded  responsible  for 
the  cause  is  blamed  and  his  tribe  made  to  vav 
damages.  ^  ^ 

In  fact  no  in^nry  or  loss  happens  to  a  Thlinget. 
whether  m  .nuoaal  or  accidental,  without  his 
^v!rv*TM*^''f  •'";^  damages.  For  this  reason 
every  Thlinget  is  lable  to  blame  and  damages 
when,  perhaps,  he  least  expects  it.  Often  when 
they  are  doing  a  good  turn  for  one  another  and 

w/.i^'*'^?^u."^  *^^°Jf«'  t^^'""  ^^ess  is  re- 
warded with  blame.  On  this  account  they  are 
very  cautious  what  *'j»y  do  for  one  another 

A  woman  on  her  way  from  church  fell  on  the 
ice  and  hurt  herself.  For  this  she  blamed  the 
missionary  m  charge.  He  had  announced  the  Sun- 
day before  that  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
bupper  would  be  administered.  For  this  reason 
she  came,  and  she  argued  that  had  she  not  come 
she  would  not  have  fallen;  hence  he  was  to  blame. 
j^Txi??,^  invited  to  go  to  Haines  for  her  own 
good.    .While  there  she  met  with  an  injurv  with 


196 


NATIVE  JURISPRUDENCE 


which  her  friends  had  nothing  to  do,  by  being 
thrown  out  of  a  wagon.  The  relative  that  in- 
vited her  to  come  to  Haines  was  blamed  for  the 
mjurjr  and  his  tribe  made  to  pay  damages. 

This  same  girl  invited  a  young  man  to  accom- 
pany her  from  one  place  to  another,  the  distance 
being  only  a  few  miles.  They  had  to  ford  a  river. 
While  doing  so  the  'vagon  was  swept  away,  and 
the  young  man,  and  four  others  in  the  party,  were 
drowned.  The  girl  was  saved.  While  she  was  in 
no  way  to  blame  for  the  accident,  yet  she  was  held 
responsible  for  the  drowning  of  the  young  man 
and  her  tribe  was  called  upon  for  heavy  damages! 
This  feature  of  their  sense  of  justice  strikes  one 
as  being  not  only  unjust,  but  often  extremely 
ludicrous. 

A  man  attended  the  funeral  of  another.  He  felt 
so  sad  that  he  resorted  to  the  whiskey  bottle  to 
drown  his  sorroT..  He  succeeded  in  more  thor- 
oughly doing  so  than  he  had  planned,  as  it  killed 
him.  Whether  it  had  more  than  the  usual  amount 
of  poison  in  it,  or  he  drank  too  much,  we  do  not 
know.  At  any  rate,  his  tribe  wanted  damages 
for  the  death  of  their  member,  so  they  held  re- 
sponsible the  clan  of  the  man  whose  funeral  he 
had  attended.  The  argument  was  that  if  their 
man  had  not  attended  the  funeral  he  would  not 
have  been  so  sad;  and  had  he  not  been  so  sad,  he 
would  not  have  drunk  the  whiskey;  and  had  he 
not  drunk  the  whiskey  he  would  not  have  died. 
Consequently  the  family  that  gave  the  funeral 
were  to  blame. 

One  native  loaned  another  his  gun.  The  bor- 
rower, unfortunately,  shot  off  his  finger.  The 
man  who  loaned  the  gun  was  held  responsible,  as 
the  tribe  of  the  injured  man  argued  that  had  he 


LUDICROUS  CASES 


197 


not  loaned  the  gun  their  man  would  not  have  lost 
nis  finger. 

A  few  years  ago  one  of  the  small  boys  of  the 
mission  armed  with  a  sling  of  David's  variety 
was  throwing  stones  toward  the  ocean,  and  like 
the  man  who  shot  his  arrow  in  the  air,  this  boy 
did  not  know  that  one  of  his  rocks  struck  a  cord- 
wood  splitter  on  the  beach  in  the  head.    When  it 
,t?e  man  he  tried  to  die  and  when  he  found  he 
couldn  t,  he  went  to  the  mission  superintendent 
and  demanded  five  blankets.    The  superintendent 
offered  to  pay  the  doctor's  bill  but  refused  to 
listen  to  any  talk  of  damages.    The  man  departed 
in  a  wrathful  mood.   After  several  days  a  relative 
of  the  boy  who  threw  the  stone  called  at  the  office 
and  asked  to  take  the  boy  from  the  school.    When 
retused  he  became  angry,  declared  that  he  had 
paid  the  boy's  debts,  and  now  the  boy  had  to  work 
tor  him.    The  superintendent,  by  questioning  the 
man   found  that  the  cordwood  splitter  had  gone 
to  this  man  and  demanded  the  five  blankets  and 
received  them.    Up  to  the  present  date  the  man 
hasn  t  been  able  to  get  either  boy  or  blankets  from 
tne  mission. 

A  woman  hired  a  young  man  to  convey  some 
lumber  on  his  boat  from  a  certain  sawmill  to  a 
spot  where  she  wanted  to  erect  a  cabin.  While 
he  was  loading  the  lumber  on  his  boat,  the  woman 
went  down  on  the  wharf  to  look  after  the  matter. 
Un  her  way  a  gust  of  wind  caught  her  and  carried 
her  off  the  wharf  and  she  sustained  some  injuries. 
Ihe  blame  was  attached  to  the  young  man  The 
argument  was  that  had  he  not  consented  to  take 
tlie  lumber  she  would  not  have  gone  on  the  wharf- 
hence  his  tribe  must  pay  damages.  ' 

A  native  wis  working  in  the  great  Treadwell 


198  NATIVE  JURISPRUDENCE 

to  the  steamer  returning  home  when  he  stermprf 

1  d"'„?forott'''r'.l",?^  ^  letter  contSng 
a  dun  for  one  hundred  dollars.  Not  havine  the 
money,  he  concluded  to  go  back  to  work,  eara  thl 
money  and  pay  the  bill.  In  less  than  a  weTk  he 
fell,  with  several  others,  down  a  shaft  in  a  hofstin^ 
fTlife''  Ttt-^  ^".i^ries  which  vJahzedul 
i,?Li  t  1  ,  *^'^  writing  he  is  living,  but  abso- 
ktely  helpless,  and  cannot  live  lon|'  The  one 
who  wrote  him  the  letter  is  held  responsible  for 
his  mjunes  and  will  be  for  his  death  The  tribe 
dSmageT*"  "'  *'^  '''''''  ^"  ^^^  *«  P^J  heavy' 
The  son  of  a  chief  was  shot  through  the  cheek 

Tom  Ihr?rih""f  f.''**  '''r^'  t-o  men, Taken 
wer^  SeH  fnrl*''?  ?°®  ^^'^  ^'^  the  shooting, 
tZ  fnci  1=  -5^  '^^"'■J'-    ^  «nt  or  wound  in 

the  face  is  considered  a  matter  of  the  deenest 
shame,  and  heavy  liabilities  are  always  demaTded 

A  high-caste  man  had  the  tip  of  his  ear  bitten 
&d  f^rtSSuS^^'-    ^  '--te  Zi'^Z 

tTe  r  clan  °kme1  't"^-'  '^  ^''  P««P^«  that  one  of 
tneir  clan  killed  the  innocent  offender.    But  in 

this  instance,  the  matter  did  not  rest  there     The 

ZKlf^'^T^^^?'  °°  *!»«  ^OBian's,  and  several 
fell  before  the  melee  came  to  an  end. 

dent^lv  or"nn?^  v'%'''-r^,''''"'^'  whether  acci- 
oentaily  or  not,  his  tribe  is  liable  for  damages 

^fo'l-'^X'  P'°P'«-    "  a  husband  in jurr his 
in  the  days  of  slavery,  any  native  saved  from 


SYSTEM  OP  LOANING  i99 

^J  j™i?^'  ^'■eeziiig,  starvation,  or  any  other  f."  • 
ot  death,  became  the  slave  of  the  one  who  rescued 
turn. 

When  a  man  dies,  leaving  children,  their  ma- 
ternal uncles  and  aunts  assume  their  support  and 
care.  Another  relief  from  this  species  of  dis- 
tress IS  that  the  surviving  husband  or  wife  takes 
another  partner  without  delay. 

Some  now  repudiate  this  old  system,  and  insist 
on  holding  the  property  in  the  family  after  the 
death  of  either  parent.  The  author  has  been 
called  upon  more  than  once  to  protect  both 
widowers  and  widows  in  their  property  rights 
^  wu       <^e<=ease  of  their  wives  or  husbands. 

When  a  Thlmget  loans  another  money,  he  ex- 
pects twice  as  much  in  settlement,  whether  the 
borrower  pays  the  sum  back  within  a  week  or  ten 
years. 
_  A  native  gives  for  the  purpose  of  having  others 
give  much  more  back  to  him,  not  so  much  for 
sweet  charity's  sake,  or  from  any  promptings  of 
generosity.  It  is  considered  a  shame  to  those  who 
receive  anything  if  they  do  not  give  back  from 
four  to  ten  fold  more. 

A  woman  gave  another  an  old  straw  hat.  The 
recipient  did  not  want  the  old  thing,  but  dare  not 
retuse  its  acceptance  for  fear  of  giving  offence. 
Ashamed  to  wear  it,  she  put  it  away  in  her  trunk, 
home  months  went  by,  when  the  donor  came  and 
asked  I     When  are  you  going  to  pay  me  for  that 

A  young  man  invited  five  of  his  friends  to  dine 
at  a  restaurant.  The  meal  of  each  cost  twenty- 
hve  cents.  After  dinner,  his  guests  took  him  to 
a  store  and  each  gave  him  two  dollars  with  which 
tie  could  buy  anything  he  wished.    They  did  thia 


MO 


NATIVE  JURISPRUDENCE 


to  keep  from  being  put  to  shame.  Large  sums  are 
exacted  for  services  rendered  about  the  dead. 
1  he  most  trifling  service,  such  as  putting  gloves 
on  the  hands  of  the  dead,  or  socks  on  his  feet  or 
mourning,  must  be  well  paid  for.  Four  young 
men  acted  as  pallbearers  for  a  little  child  The 
mother  gave  them  ten  dollars  each  for  this  slight 
service.  To  build  a  coffin,  dig  a  grave,  erect  a  grave 
fence  or  tombstone  commands  a  large  compensa- 
tion. This  IS  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  the  na- 
tives are  not  satisfied  unless  they  spend  large 
amounts  on  the  dead. 

If  one  child  injures  another,  even  in  play  or 
accidentally,  the  parents  of  the  injured  one  de- 
mand damages  of  the  parents  of  the  child  that 
committed  the  offence.  Native  children  seldom 
quarrel  or  injure  one  another  when  playing,  and 
tms  law  of  the  people  may,  in  a  measure  at  least, 
account  for  it. 

Old  grievances  that  supposedly  wer^^  settled 
years  past  are  revived  for  the  purpose  of  extort- 
ing money  from  one  another. 

Forty  years  ago  a  fight  took  place  at  a  village 
known  as  Hootz-na-oo,  between  two  warring 
:?  J--.,  ^<'™a'i  belonging  to  a  powerful  tribe  of 
the  Sitkans  was  killed.  The  life  of  another,  or 
a  heavy  payment  in  blankets,  was  demanded.  The 
matter  was  compromised  by  giving  a  powerful 
slave  to  one  of  the  chiefs  of  the  haughty  tribe 
ot  the  woman  that  was  killed.  As  the  chief  prized 
this  slave  very  much,  on  account  of  his  strength 
this  was  considered  a  satisfactory  settlement 

Ihe  slave  served  the  chief  faithfully  for  years 
In  the  summer  of  1908  he  suddenly  died.  The 
tnbe  then  decided  that  they  had  nothing  to  show 
tor  the  death  of  the  woman  they  had  lost  years 


r 


OLD  GRIEVANCES 


SOI 


ago  and  finally  proceeded  to  the  village  of  Hootz- 
na-oo  for  another  payment.  Arriving  there,  they 
demanded  one  hundred  blankets.  After  some 
powwowing  they  were  paid  one  hundred  and 
twenty  blankets,  two  Chinese  trunks  and  t,vro 
guns.  They  returned  to  Sitka  thoroughly  satis- 
fied with  what  they  received.  The  tribes  are  now 
good  friends  again  and  peace  reigns  between 
them. 

In  the  same  village,  about  fifty  years  ago,  a 
woman  was  insulted  by  a  man.  She  told  her  peo- 
ple and  they  counselled  her  to  insult  him  in  re- 
venge. This  she  did  publicly.  This  precipitated 
a  fight  between  his  people  and  hers,  which  re- 
sulted in  several  being  killed  on  both  sides.  A 
few  days  ago  a  party  from  the  man's  tribe  came 
all  the  way  to  Juneau  (more  than  a  hundred 
miles)  to  demand  money  and  blankets  from  the 
woman's  people  on  the  ground  that  when  they  had 
the  fight  years  ago  it  was  not  ended  equally,  hence 
they  were  yet  debtors  to  the  man's  tribe.  It  is 
astonishing  how  Thlingets  will  accede  to  such  ab- 
surd claims. 

If  a  wife  leaves  her  husband,  her  people  must 
return  all  that  was  given  them  for  her  dowry,  or 
its  equivalent,  to  the  husband  or  to  his  people. 

The  payment  of  all  artistic  totemic  work, 
whether  in  carving,  painting,  weaving  or  engrav- 
ing, is  practically  regulated  by  an  unwritten  law. 
All  such  work  is  done  by  those  of  an  opposite 
phratry  and  commands  extraordinary  prices.  The 
latter  is  due  to  the  skill  required  for  such  work, 
the  sentimental  value  placed  on  the  emblem,  and 
the  native's  pride  in  display. 
_  The  chief  has  the  ruling  voice  in  the  adjudica- 
tion of  all  affairs  involving  the  tribe.    What  he 


Mf 


NATIVE  JURISPRUDENCE 


recommends,  the  tribe  contend  for.  There  is  no 
cessation  of  hostilities  until  a  satisfactory  settle- 
ment has  been  made.  This  is  one  reason  why 
tribes  yield  and  amicably  settle  any  and  all  dis- 
putes; for  with  them  nothing  is  settled  until  both 
sides  are  satisfied. 

Thus,  although  the  natives  have  no  legislative 
executive  or  judiciary  department,  yet  they  have 
laws,  enforce  them  and  readily  submit  to  them. 

In  this  age  they  sometimes  get  a  double  dose 
ot  law,  both  the  white  man's  and  their  own.  They 
have  been  known  to  be  punished  in  the  courts  of 
tlie  tormer  and,  when  they  returned  to  their 
homes,  be  compelled  to  make  satisfaction  to  the 
natives  also. 

When  a  native  is  punished  in  a  white  man's 
court  the  aggrieved  natives  get  nothing.  This  is 
not  satisfactory.  They  want  as  redress  for  all 
injunes  a  money  or  property  consideration,  or 
they  are  not  satisfied.  For  this  reason  the  white 
man  s  court  is  very  unsatisfactory  to  the  averaire 
native  Hence  the  offender  is  someti^s 
pmehed  twice  for  the  same  offence.  There 
IS  this,  however,  to  be  said  in  favour  of  the  white 
man  s  law,  that  when  punishment  is  meted  out  it 
IS  to  the  offender,  while  native  redress  is  de- 
manded of  the  offender's  tribe,  who  may  be  alto- 
gether inculpable. 


XX 

MUSIC  AND  AMUSEMENTS 

NO  people  have  greater  love  for  music  and 
amusements  than  the  Thlingets.  From 
time  immemorial  they  have  had  their  own 
songs.  It  is  surprising  how  easily  and  quickly 
they  learn  to  sing  our  English  songs,  hymns  and 
anthems,  and  to  read  music.  Not  a  few  of  them 
can  play  the  organ  well,  when  they  have  never 
taken  a  lesson. 

A  few  years  ago  the  only  thing  they  had  that 
approached  a  musical  instrument,  was  a  rude 
drum.  Now  every  native  village  has  its  brass  or 
string  band,  many  of  their  homes  have  organs, 
and  nearly  every  one  a  gramophone  or  phono- 
graph. In  the  bands  are  native  boys  who  cannot 
speak  or  read  English,  yet  they  master  the 
musical  notes  without  the  slightest  difficulty. 

For  the  most  part,  these  bands  are  self-taught. 
Some  native  who  knows  a  little  more  about  music 
than  the  others  is  chosen  as  a  leader.  They  then 
work  out  their  own  musical  salvation,  not  with 
fear  and  trembling,  but  with  joy  and  perseverance. 
They  are  so  fond  of  it  that  they  do  not  consider 
any  amount  of  practice  a  task,  but  a  pleasure,  so 
they  practise  almost  incessantly  until  they  become 
proficient. 

Most  of  them  have  the  gift  of  song,  and  some 
of  them  have  exceedingly  fine  voices.    Congrega- 
tional singing  in  our  native  churches  is  spirited 
208 


«04  MUSIC  AND  AMUSEMENTS 

and  good.  Their  own  native  songs  at  their  feasts 
and  dances  are  in  memory  of  the  dead  and  about 

«^l»f' m'*u"^  *^^  ^''^^  «°<1  "'  their  patron 
animal.  Mothers  have  their  lullaby  songs  which 
they  sing  to  soothe  their  babes  to  sleep. 

Their  memorial  songs  used  at  feasts  and  pot- 
latches  are  very  sacred  and  the  people  believe 
they  receive  strength  from  them.  They  are  used 
only  on  special  occasions.  According  to  tradition 
&.'?  ^'fr'Sl?*  *'">  t™«  "f  the  flood  (not 
^^  rp?„f  °L^^^  P'*''^'  *""*  "f  ""tive  tradition) 
and  relate  the  sad  events  of  that  terrible  visita- 
tion, such  as  the  finding  of  bodies  and  the  separa- 

cn^nn!-!-  '"■  ''''°'\  ^^'''^  '"""^^  °f  "lore  recent 
composition  are  not  so  significant  as  their  older 
ones  and  are  composed  from  various  motives. 
Ihey  relate  mostly  to  exploits  and  happenings  of 
one  kind  and  another,  some  of  them  having  little 

^f^l'lf i*T'^-  '^^  '■«^^°'  ""e  of  ther  rreat 
patron  birds,  has  much  to  do  with  inspiring  .ongs. 
When  a  house  was  "  danced  together,"  as  many 
songs  were  sung  as  motions  were  made,  which, 
usually,  were  four  to  the  right  and  four  to  the  left! 
Ihis  was  done  when  a  feast  was  given  aitei  the 
completion  of  a  house.  cu  axiei  me 

Some  songs  were  sung  by  women  only.  Much 
^i,-  w  l°/'=«"?.d  singing  is  a  mere  weird  chant, 
which  to  the  white  man  is  very  monotonous  and 
depressing.  The  pitch  scarcel/varies  from  start 
Z^v  \  J'^t??  "^^""^^  forcibly  remind  one  of 
witches,  hobgoblins,  and  spirits.  It  is  the  peculiar 
construction  and  genius  of  their  songs  rather  than 
the  voices  of  the  singers  which  make  them  weird 
and  uncanny. 

All  kinds  of  amusements  and  sports  appeal 
strongly  to  these  people.    They  will  give  their 


AMUSEMENTS 


MS 


last  dime  to  see  anything  amusing  or  entertaining, 
and  they  welcome  anything  that  comes  along.  In 
the  era  when  low  dance-halls  flourished  in  our 
communities,  they  were  largely  patronized  by  na- 
tives, in  spite  of  their  vileness. 

It  is  this  fondness  for  amusement  and  enter- 
tainment, as  well  as  their  respect  for  their  cus- 
toms, that  gives  dancing  and  feasting  such  a  hold 
on  the  people.  The  white  man's  dance  is  now 
appealing  to  them,  and  not  a  few  are  already  its 
devotees.  We  fear  that  it  will  prove  a  detriment 
rather  than  a  blessing  to  them. 

In  their  socials,  all  kinds  of  amusing  games  are 
played  to  the  unbounded  delight  of  all  present. 
Their  laughter  is  a  spontaneous  outburst.  They 
care  httle  for  games  that  require  much  mental 
effort,  and  they  eliminate  from  their  socials  and 
entertamments  everything  not  of  a  comic  and 
laughter-provoking  nature.  While  they  have 
many  original  games  of  their  own,  yet  they  have 
appropriated  a  number  from  the  white  people. 
Outside,  in  the  proper  season,  they  enter  with 
zest  into  all  kinds  of  athletic  sports.  Some  vil- 
lages have  strong  ball  teams.  Fourth  of  July  is 
the  big  day  of  the  year  for  outdoor  sports.  They 
leave  their  camps  wherever  they  are  and  come  into 
town  to  celebrate.  The  sports  of  the  day  are  base- 
ball, canoe-racing,  running,  jumping,  vaulting, 
throwmg  the  weight,  rock-drilling  and  other 
things  too  numerous  to  mention.  Every  native 
who  can  crawl  out  of  bed  is  out  to  enjoy  the  sights. 
Not  one  of  the  long  list  of  sports  does  he  miss 
If  he  can  help  it.  This  is  the  day  when  all  are 
dressed  in  their  best.  Dresses  and  new  suits  are 
bought  for  the  occasion.  The  celebration  over, 
they  are  then  carefully  put  away  in  a  trunk, 


ao6 


MUSIC  AND  AMUSEMENTS 


In  their  socials,  the  mogt  popular  of  their  own 

dh'n '"'""•  *,'''^''''".  "  f'"-^""  "  (come  hereof 
Tliey  choose  sides,  having  from  ten  to  twenty  or 
more  on  a  side.  Each  sile  chooses  a  leade?  who 
"given  a  flag.  This  leader  stands  out  in  frTnt 
of  those  on  his  side.    Then  the  name  of  some  one 

Zn"''Wr''  f.'*^^.  '«  '"^^"^  °"t  with  theTnvha- 
tion-  Ha-goo  '  -to  come  and  take  away  the  flag 
without  smiling  if  he  can  possibly  do  so     Whef 

^orT.T/^''  V-"^^  *^«  ^^«  ^^"y  do  and  say  an 
sorts  of  funny  things  to  make  him  smile     If  he 

wTtfthe  flJr  V^f'^"'^.,''^  party  andSihesiS: 
k  tak  in  A  fl» '  """-^t  o"'"-:,  'and,  he  succeeds 
in  taking  the  flag  without  smiling,  then  all  that 
have  been  captured  from  his  side  are  released  to 
go  back  to  the  side  from  which  they  were  taken 
In  this  way  they  try  to  pull  over  the  entire  on' 
pos.te  side,  and  the  side  which  succeeds  kdobg 
tins  18  the  winnmg  one.  This  game  affords  them 
lots  of  amusement.  Some  start  out  with  a  very 
Berious  face,  determined  to  get  the  flag  S 
out  smilmg  but  have  to  succumb  befofe  They 
succeed  as  they  meet  the  volley  of  iokes  ^tti 
cisms  and  wry  faces.    Then  comes  the  laugrfor 

h-,^}^  ^'!,'\f '^J:  ^'^^  *'•«''■  dolls  and  toys  of  all 
kinds,  and  the  boys  play  ball,  marbles,  fly  kites 

,W  'f^^^Vl''^^  •^"ds  of  childish  gamek  CJoast 
Bnllo  "t  ♦•''^*'"«  ^•'■•^  favourite  ^nter  sports. 
Eoller-skating  is  quite  a  fad  with  the  native  boys 
and  girls.  In  several  places  in  the  territory  there 
are  large  rinks  run  by  white  men,  and  they  are 
liberally  patronized.  But  dancing  is  the  most 
popular  amusement  of  all.  ^ 


JOKES  AND  WirnciSMS  go7 

18  Carried  tt  ??'?*'«"''  '^"•"os  of  contest.  Thi. 
IB  carnea  into  their  dancing.     Thev  also  h«v« 

ve  y1a«e*:ti  '''"  T'T'  ""'-T  spoon  '« 
nf  Ln^*'  i.^""'  P™ct"'nlly  a  ladl..,  carved  out 
of  wood  or  horn.    One  of  tlicso  will'hold  a  ha"f 

the^r  fS  r/  n"*^  "^ t-^"'  """^  ^vittici8m8.  In 
a  great  deal  o?  «nf  V'-^'i*^  ««!  .erinKs  they  have 
a  greai  aea    of  speech-making,     ke  the  ffuests  nt 

"«&" t?  tT""'-.    T'-- «P«-hes  Khar' 

elicU  the  loLZ  "°1  '"""""■•  '»"»'  frequently 
elicit  tne  loudest  applause.     Of  course  somo  nf 

tiZ  Tu-^'  *•"*'  ^""■'1  «»™d  fra"  to  us  Ttrike 
ttiem  as  being  very  clever.  ""Ke 

fn^'^inf-*  wnnection  it  may  not  be  out  of  place 

^sHbarhavT"  '"'''''";'•  """«'"«  and  o?ter 

a'  «„♦   1     ^        '"  "''f'*""  our  notice. 

A  noted   woman  of  Sitka  prayed   openlr  in 

prayer^meeting  that  God  would  forgive  her  for 

the  sins  she  had  in  mind  to  commit  tf^  fonowing 

th^  anolL°r  ^r  u    f"'  ™'''°°  ^^''ools  reported 
uiat  another  boy  had  sworn  at  him.    The  culnrit 

muted  Zrv.:*^  ^'^'"■^*^  «"Pennte„dent  and  ad* 

;n„  *i    funeral  we  saw  a  woman,  as  we  were  leav- 

^aph 'aid^L'J^^I'  *^  ^^'P.^'''  Pi^'k  up  a  phono- 
fl^^  iu  ^^^^  **  ^•ong  with  her.  As  we  had 
I^J^^'^aT'^  «"  ^'""^^  of  things  to  place  in 
and  around  the  graves  of  their  departed  ones  even 
sewing-machines,  we  naturally  t'^^iought  she  was 


MS 


MUSIC  AND  AMUSKMENTS 


carrying  the  phonograph  for  the  same  purpose. 
But  as  soon  as  the  coffin  was  placed  in  the  waifon 
that  was  to  bear  it  to  the  cemetery,  the  music 
box  was  placed  on  top  of  the  coffin,  a  youth  jumped 
into  the  wagon  from  behind,  wound  up  the  ma- 
chine, put  on  a  record  and  set  it  to  squeaking  out 
a  funeral  march.  When  this  was  played  through 
It  was  started  again,  aud  was  kept  playing  until 
we  arrived  at  the  grave.  As  soon  as  the  body  was 
committed  to  the  grp.ve,  it  was  set  to  playinjr 
agam  and  when  we  left  the  cemetery  the  machine 
was  doing  its  utmost  to  soothe  their  sorrowing 

In  some  towns  it  has  become  very  stylish  to 
hire  a  hearse;  a  luxury  which  costs  ten  dollars. 
Kecently  we  held  a  funeral  at  which  they  started 
to  carry  the  coffin  to  the  cemetery,  a  distance  of 
about  a  mile.  The  procession  had  not  gone  more 
than  a  quarter  of  the  way  when  all  at  once  it  was 
decided  that  they  should  have  the  hearse— not  so 
much  to  relieve  the  men  who  were  carrying  the 
coffin,  but  for  the  looks  of  the  thing.  It  was  a 
cold,  stormy  day,  with  a  foot  or  more  of  snow  on 
the  ground.  The  coffin  with  the  corpse  was 
dropped  m  the  snow  and  the  procession  kept  wait- 
ing near  it  while  the  hearse  was  brought  to  convey 
the  remains  the  rest  of  the  way  to  the  cemetery. 
jl  took  nearly  an  hour  to  get  the  vehicle,  and  all 
that  time  the  procession  stood  there  in  the  snow 
and  storm. 

"We  see  queer  things,  not  only  at  burials,  but 
also  at  weddings.  It  is  rather  odd  to  see  two  old 
people  who  have  lived  together  for  thirty  or 
forty  years  and  have,  perhaps,  four  or  five  chil- 
dren, stand  up  to  be  married.  Yet  this  has  been 
done  in  several  instances.     They  had  lived  to- 


IN  CHURCH  JJ09 

WaMd  on T!  i  -^^  ''^'"^•^'  produced  a  ring  to 
oe  pjaced  on  the  bridegroom's  finger. 

her  back' toT  n^'^'^j^^  *^?  bridesmaid  turned 
nf  +1,0  if  -i^  ,  officiatmg  minister  while  the  rest 
of^the  bndal  party  stood,  as  they  shoufd;  fecTng 

to^fi-^Ttn^f^  '"  •I'-'^'y  ^^^^  *^«y  blunder  in  trying 
teeSf  eeC^rySJUT^  *»  ^'^^  ^^^^ 
to  aDDlv  thi^t" f'  ^'"'*  1"  ^''^  '"•°'«t«'-  ^«8  about 

S'i:d°'onTo"f  t*lVTh°'  '"  '^'''  '''^  '^^ 

in^'seat  bv  tw  ""^  '""^  "  ""^^  ^^'o  ^^^  blocked 
tjAS  o^^?/^ral7erinn*XrgeS.ri 

hf d,"  *5a?hrthr LV^r  ^^-^^^^^-  '^^ 

pas"  To   soeak  to  tho  *^^  '^°™'°  *"  '«*  J''"' 
estimnffnr.    f  i^^f  women   would,   in  his 

estimation,  be  a  great  breach  of  proDrietv   h,,? 
climbing  over  the  seats  was  nothiS^oKf  fhe 

t;,^*-r  <^<'»8  frequently  come  to  church  and  some 
Kght  bTmfdrl  ir ""'^^  ^°  5  themTut 
eofia-'dotor-'Sl.aVtrt^TdV^S 


210 


MUSIC  AND  AMUSEMENTS 


put  of  the  sanctuarj-  with  as  much  gravity  as  if 
It  were  part  of  the  service. 

When  the  natives  saw  a  steamboat  for  the  first 
tune  they  took  to  the  woods  through  fright.  They 
thought  it  was  some  huge  being  that  would  bring 
a  terrible  disease,  such  as  smallpox.  For  this 
reason  they  pulled  a  certain  native  vegetable  that 
resembles  our  carrot  and  is  peppery,  and  looked 
through  them  at  the  steamboat,  believing  that  this 
would  protect  them  from  the  disease.  They  were 
amazed  when  they  saw  men  walking  about  on  the 
nre-canoe." 

The  phonograph  was  a  great  wonder  to  them 
when  it  first  came,  and  they  flocked  to  see  and 
hear  the  wonderful  box  that  could  talk  and  sing. 
ibey  readily  paid  a  quaifter  to  hear  a  single  tune, 
and  one  w-hite  man  reaped  a  financial  harvest  from 
'"«?  tor  letting  them  hear  his  machine. 

The  first  negro  that  appeared  in  their  country 
was  a  great  puzzle  to  them.  They  held  all  kinds 
ot  theories  as  to  what  made  him  black.  Some 
mamtmned  that  he  had  lived  where  there  was  too 
much  smoke;  others  that  he  lived  in  a  house  whose 
only  entrance  was  a  chimney,  and  that  he  became 
black  by  going  m  and  out. 

When  they  first  saw  a  man  with  a  wooden  leg, 
they  regarded  him  not  only  with  wonder,  but 
thought  him  a  very  comical  sight. 

The  man  who  could  take  off  his  hair  (wig)  was 
a  .greater  wonder  to  them,  however,  than  the  man 
with  the  wooden  leg. 

But  the  most  wonderful  of  all,  and  the  one  that 
attorded  them  the  most  amusement  and  most  ex- 
cited their  cunosity,  was  the  man  who  could  take 
out  his  teeth.  One  of  them  made  the  discoverv 
that  a  certain  storekeeper  could  do  this.    He  soon 


THE  FALSE  TEETH  m 

spread  the  news  among  his  people,  and  thev 
flodted  to  the  store  to  see  the  wonderM  ma/ 
They  even  bluntly  asked  him  to  take  out  his  M 
Seeing  his  opportunity  to  attract  them  to  hfs  sTore 
as  patrons,  he  did  so.  Their  amazement  knew  no 
bounds  when  they  saw  him  take  ouHf  his  mouth 

"hem  "evIT.'"?'  ^^  !?**  «"'  ^d  then  rSfla  e 
tnem.    Ji^very  native  in  the  country  soon  hparH 

of  this  remarkable  man,  and  many  of  them  mad« 
an  excuse  to  buy  something  just  to  get  an  oZ.r 
*C*^.  ?f  «e?^g  the  storekeiper  Xve  and^rl" 

■ain^^tf  ir"*^*"^*^  ^"  ^^'^e  to  show  how  imprcs- 
Te  nStli^'^fri.-  ^VSf y  ^^  *™t''f""y  «aS  ^^t 

menrout  'oT^I  1  J?;  ''"i^'  «'*«  """^^  "•««!  enjoy- 
ment out  of  hfe  than  do  many  of  our  wpnitlrir 
^hite  people  with  riches  at  their  .iZand  He 
has  fewer  wants  and  cares,  and,  abo^aU  is  not 
greedy  for  Hehes.  Hence 'we  find  more  content 
Eient  and  true  enjoyment  of  life  in  the  homes  of 
o'Xa'r"'  '"'^''  *^  ^  ^^  homes  of  o^' 


XXI 

MORALITY 

IT  cannot  be  denied  that  "  latitude  and  longi- 
tude make  broad  differences  as  to  what  con- 
stitutes vice  and  virtue."  The  ethics  of  the 
Chinaman  do  not  altogether  correspond  with  those 
of  the  American.  The  lower  the  scale  of  civiliza- 
tion the  wider  the  difference  in  what  constitutes 
vice  or  virtue. 

So  we  find  the  Thlingets  of  Alaska  measuring 
actions  by  a  different  standard  from  our  own. 
What  would  shock  us  they  regard  as  eminently 
proper.  On  the  other  hand,  what  we  approve 
they  would  condemn. 

They  see  no  impropriety  in  a  man  living  with 
a  woman  some  months  with  the  view  of  marrying 
her  providing  she  suits  him.  We  see  no  impro- 
priety in  a  man  escorting  another  man's  wife 
under  certain  circumstances,  whereas  they  think 
this  altogether  improper  and  reprehensible. 

Thousands  of  our  people  of  both  sexes  go  in 
bathing  together  right  in  public  every  summer. 
Nothing  could  be  more  shocking  to  the  natives  of 
Alaska  than  this. 

We  think  it  is  altogether  proper  for  brothers 
and  sisters  not  only  to  speak  to  each  other,  even 
after  the  sister  becomes  a  woman,  but  to  show 
their  affection  for  one  another.  The  Alaskan  na- 
tives, on  the  other  hand,  consider  it  the  proper 
thing  for  a  brother  to  sit  with  his  back  to  his 

213 


ETHICS  OF  THLINGETS  218 

sSi^'zr^ ' »""" " " " »-  «  ^ 

».?.1,=  j  "•  ""■"'  ■" "»«'«  i  Jo"; 

Our  young  girls  and  ladies  may  have  their 

Thf  Vhlinl*^^-  *!^^  ''°'*  "^  ''«™  'S  thought  of  it. 

To  marry  one  of  the  same  great  totemic  phratrv 
though  no  blood  relation,  is  a  matter  of  deeS' 
grace,  and  in  earlier  times  one  who^dolated  thL 
custom  was  punished  with  death.  An J^ho  offend 
m^is  mat  er  now  are  deeply  execrated 

We  recall  a  case  where  two  cousins  of  the  aamft 
phratry  married.  They  loved  each  other  and  were 
married  according  to  the  white  man '/law  But 
their  own  people  turned  bitte-'-  against  them  for 
this,  and  scorned  the  girl  f  the  day  o?  her 
marriage  until  her  death.  ^       ^' 

hn^^^'^u  *«K^eatly  disgraced  if  she  is  cast  off  by 
her  husband,  though  she  may  be  altogether  undp 
serving  of  such  treatment.  For  thi  reason  Ss" 
husbands  '  "^"^  ''™*''  *''^«'^^"*  from  Their 
It  is  considered  a  very  shameful  th'ne  for  n. 
woman  to  expose  her  person  even  to  her  husband 
or  to  ano  her  woman.  Women  suffer  and  d^e 
toTd'ctof ''^'^^'  '''^''  *^°  submit  themselves 
Sweeping  charges  of  immorality  have  been 
made  against  the  natives  of  Alaska     S  is  no 


^        I  if    f 


MORALITY 

more  just  than  to  declare  the  same  of  white  people 
because  some  are  bad.  Even  though  a  majority 
ot  them  were  immoral  it  would  not  justify  us  in 
saying  they  were  all  so.  It  were  as  just  for  them 
to  declare  that  all  the  white  people  are  drunkards 
because  they  see  so  many  who  are.  Sweeping 
statements  are  seldom  true  or  just. 

It  is  said  that  the  women  have  no  regard  for 
chastity,  but  their  system  of  ethics  is  largely  to 
blame  for  this.  It  is  not  considered  improper  for 
a  man  and  woman  to  live  together,  though  not 
marned.  Consequently  some  use  this  as  a  license 
tor  unproper  sexual  relations.  There  are  how- 
ever, those  who  are  chaste  and  would  not  barter 
their  virtue  for  any  price.  While  prostitution  is 
practised,  it  is  not  advertised  and  fostered  as  it 
IS  with  civilized  races. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  the  natives  have 
not  been  long  acquainted  with  our  system  of  mar- 
riage. Their  own  was  without  rite  or  ceremony 
In  many  instances  a  mere  mutual  understanding 
between  the  parties  living  together  that  they  were 
husband  and  wife  was  all  there  was  to  it.  This 
never  offended  the  public  conscience  so  long  as  the 
parties  showed  good  faith. 

Nearly  every  race  has  a  different  marriage  sys- 
tem from  all  the  others.  Uncivilized  communities, 
trom  the  very  nature  of  the  case,  cannot  know  of 
the  Christian  form  until  it  is  introduced.  They 
are  obliged  to  hit  upon  some  system,  crude  as  it 
may  appear  to  us.  The  Thlingets  adopted  the 
dowry  system  that  prevailed  in  the  time  of  Jacob 
-this  IS  just  as  sacred  in  their  eyes  as  the  Chris- 
tian system  is  to  us.  Under  it  native  men  and 
women  have  lived  together  for  thirty,  forty  and 
ntty  years  in  good  faith,  and  reared  large  fami- 


CARE  OF  DAUGHTERS  216 

lies.  Thejr  c.onld  not  have  done  better  had  they 
been  married  by  a  dozen  priests.  And  yet  we 
meet  white  people  who  regard  the  native  system 
as  a  system  of  fornication. 

There  are  no  parents  in  all  the  world  that  jniard 
their  ^rls  more  carefully  in  order  to  preserve 
their  chastity  than  the  Thlingets  of  Alaska.  If 
they  did  not  value  virtue  they  certainly  would  not 
be  so  careful  to  protect  it.  As  soon  as  a  cirl  ap- 
proaches womanhood  she  is  kept  under  constant 
surveillance.  She  is  not  allowed  to  go  off  by  her- 
self anywhere.  She  is  under  the  eye  of  her 
mother,  or  aunt  or  sister  until  she  is  married  It 
seems  to  us  that  this  shows  some  regard' for 
virtue.  * 

It  is  true  that  much  coarse,  vulgar  and  indecent 
sensuality  obtains  with  some,  but  more  from 
drunkenness  than  election.  Women  are  debauched 
but  are  not  willing  parties  to  the  transaction. 
Ihe  appetite  for  strong  drink  is  the  curse  and 
rum  ot  many  of  them,  and  has  betrayed  many  a 
woman  to  part  with  her  virtue.  Men,  knowing 
their  weakness  for  liquor  and  how  helpless  they 
are  when  under  its  influence,  use  this  means  of 
taking  advantage  of  them. 

.  The  sale  and  the  giving  of  liquor  to  the  natives 
IS  the  most  debasing  of  all  influences  that  they 
encounter.  There  is  a  stringent  law  against  it, 
and  public  opinion  m  Alaska  is  strongly  with  the 
law,  yet  there  are  men  so  low  (white  men,  we  are 
sorry  to  say)  that  they  are  constantly  violating 
this  law.  The  courts  are  doing  their  best  to  stamp 
out  this  criminal  practice  and  have  succeeded  in 
sending  many  of  these  offenders  to  the  peniten- 
tiary. But  m  spite  of  their  strenuous  efforts  to 
break  it  up,  the  traflic  in  liquor  with  the  natives 


ne 


MORALITY 


continnes    with    most    baneful    and    degrading 

This  curse  has  hung  like  a  pall  over  them  since 
the  advent  of  the  Bussians.  Before  the  coming 
of  the  white  man  they  were  strangers  to  liquor 
in  any  form.  The  art  of  brewing  and  drinking 
It  was  acquired.  Ballon,  in  his  volume  on  Alaska, 
states  that  the  Russians  taught  them  to  make 
quass.    Bancroft,  in  his  history  of  Alaska,  claims 

Iri  *,"??■  ^®'"®  ^^^g^i  the  art  of  dist.xling  by 
United  States  soldiers. 

"Whoever  is  responsible  for  their  knowledge  of 
manufacturing  drink,  it  is  certain  that  they  knew 
nothmg  of  It  until  they  were  taught  it  by  members 
or  the  superior  race. 

Another  undeniable  fhct  is  that  they  have  been 
encouraged  to  drink  by  the  example,  not  only  of 
white  civihans,  but  of  soldiers  who  were  sent  to 
Alaska  to  maintain  law  and  order.  Bancroft,  in 
his  history  of  Alaska,  has  shown  that  the  soldiery 
have  much  of  the  debauchery  of  the  natives  to 
answer  for.  Governor  Swineford,  and  other 
writers  on  Alaska,  bear  witness  to  the  same  un- 
pleasant truth.  Scores  of  citizens  have  made  the 
same  observation.  It  is  certainly  regrettable  that 
men  who  are  sent  out  by  our  government  to  en- 
force law  and  order  should  be  the  very  ones  to 
drink  and  carouse,  create  drunken  brawls,  strife 
and  discord  in  communities  where  they  live.  That 
this  has  been  done  times  without  number  in 
Alaska,  no  one  can  deny. 

The  government  makes  a  ludicrous  mistake  in 
thinking  the  miners  of  Alaska  need  the  soldiery 
to  restrain  them  from  acts  of  violence.  As  a  class 
their  behaviour  is  far  superior  to  that  of  the 
soldiery. 


RUM,  THE  ARCH-EVIL 


«17 


There  are  some  fine  fellows  wearing  the  uni- 
fonn,  and  the  officers,  with  scarcely  an  exception, 
are  true  gentlemen.  But  too  many  rowdies  are  in 
the  ranks,  and  such  should  not  be  employed  to 
conserve  law  and  order.  As  soon  as  they  are 
loose  from  duty,  they  make  for  the  saloons  to 
dnnk,  carouse  and  do  violence. 

It  is  a  question  whether  Alaska  has  profited 
or  suffered  more  from  the  army.  Bancroft  and 
other  careful  writers  think  the  latter  is  true. 

"There  are  plenty  of  irresponsible  whites," 
Tmtes  Ballou,  "  ready  to  make  money  out  of  the 
aborigines.  Bum  is  the  native's  bane,  its  effect 
upon  him  being  singularly  fatal;  it  maddens  him; 
even  slight  intoxication  means  to  him  delirium 
and  all  its  consequences,  wild  brutality  and  utter 
demoralization." 

More  crimes,  cruelty,  brutality  and  misery 
among  the  natives  are  due  to  drink  than  to  any 
other  one  thing— yea,  than  to  all  other  things  put 
toMther.  Many  have  died  directly  from  over- 
drink and  poisonous  drinks.  Many  have  been 
killed  in  drunken  brawls  or  crippled  for  life 
Children  are  abused,  neglected  and  made  to  suffer 
by  drunken  parents. 

The  teachers  and  missionaries  who  live  and  la- 
bour among  the  natives  have  many  sad  cases  of 
brutality  and  suffering,  all  through  drink,  broueht 
to  their  notice. 

Theft  is  little  known  among  them.  Before  the 
fine  art  of  thieving  was  introduced  by  the  white 
man,  no  man's  house  was  ever  robbed,  nor  his 
wood  stolen  though  cut  and  banked  in  the  forest; 
his  garden  was  not  plundered,  though  miles  from 
his  home,  nor  his  blankets  thrown  over  his  canoe 
to  protect  it  from  the  sun  disturbed,  nor  any 


/    „  ^ 


ns 


MORALITY 


of  his  belongings  appropriated  by  another.  Val- 
uable articles  are  deposited  in  deadhouses  and 
on  and  around  graves,  articles  that  natives  covet, 
yet  these  were  never  stolen.  The  example  of 
white  crooks  and  thieves  is  pernicious  and  has 
encouraged  some  natives  to  imitate  them.  Much 
thieving  has  been  laid  to  their  door,  when  in  truth 
it  belonged  to  white  rascals. 

The  percentage  of  thieving  by  natives  is  much 
lower  than  that  of  the  white  races.  For  more  than 
twenty  years  we  have  lived  among  them.  Our 
doors  have  been  left  unlocked  for  them  to  walk  in 
and  out;  frequently  v/v  were  out  and  they  had 
the  house  all  to  themselves,  yet  in  all  these  years 
we  have  never  had  anything  stolen  by  one  of  them. 

While  many  have  been  brought  into  court  for 
drunkenness,  disorderly  conduct,  fighting,  assault, 
etc.,  yet  very  few  have  been  tried  for  theft.  The 
crime  of  murder  has  been  committed  by  them,  but 
not  so  often  as  by  white  men  in  their  country.  In 
most  cases  tliis  crime,  when  committed  by  natives, 
was  because  they  were  under  the  influence  of 
liquor.  _  It  is  safe  to  say  that  as  many  natives  have 
been  killed  by  white  men  as  white  people  killed 
by  them. 

A  man  committed  suicide  simply  to  make 
trouble  for  one  who  offended  him.  According  to 
native  custom,  if  a  person  commits  suicide  be- 
cause some  one  has  offended  him,  or  opposed  a 
wish  of  his,  heavy  damages  or  a  life  must  be  given 
to  the  tribe  of  -the  suicide  by  the  tribe  of  the  one 
giving  the  offence.  So  suicide  is  sometimes  re- 
sorted to  in  order  to  harass  and  burden  others. 
The  threat  of  suicide  is  sometimes  used  as  a  bluff 
to  get  one's  way. 

There  are  a  few  native  girls  who  imitate  their 


VICES 


M9 


fallen  white  sisters.  They  barter  their  virtue,  and 
some  of  them,  when  tliey  find  tliemsolves  trapped, 
resort  to  abortion.  This  they  do,  not  by  applying 
to  a  physician,  as  we  have  no  physicians  who 
would  abet  a  native  girl  in  this,  but  by  personal 
efforts  and  by  taking  native  concoctions.  They 
are  not  alwavs  successful,  as  too  many  children 
without  visible  fathers  testify. 

The  native  "  tough  "  is  becoming  scarcer  and 
scarcer,  and  has  always  been  frowned  on  by  the 
great  body  of  natives.  The  natives  no  more  ap- 
prove of  their  girls  leading  a  bad  life  than  the 
white  people  do  of  their  girls.  While  there  may 
be  vet  a  few  native  girls  who  lead  a  fast  life,  the 
number  is  small  as  compared  with  those  who  were 
once  given  to  it.  Some  of  them  have  been  brought 
mto  the  church,  reformed  and  transformed,  and 
tor  years  have  led  a  clean  life.  They  have  settled 
down,  content  to  be  the  wife  of  one  man  and  rear 
children. 

Among  the  white  people  of  Alaska,  the  natives 
have  the  reputation  of  having  little  regard  for 
the  truth.  Their  testimony  in  court,  unless  cor- 
roborated by  the  testimony  of  a  white  person,  will 
not  be  considered  by  the  average  juryman.  We 
have  found  from  experience  that  while  it  is  true 
the  word  of  many  is  unreliable,  yet  there  are 
those  who  can  and  do  speak  the  truth,  and  whose 
word  may  be  depended  on.  But  we  admit,  with 
regret,  that  many  will  prevaricate  if  they  think 
there  is  anything  to  be  gained  by  it,  or  to  injure 
one  for  whom  tliey  have  ill  will. 

One  of  their  most  reprehensible  faults  is  their 
failure  to  meet  their  financial  obligations  to  white 
men.  Merchants  who  have  given  them  credit,  and 
friends  who  have  loaned  them  money,  have  found 


MORALITY 


all  too  late  that  but  few  of  them  have  the  hononr 
to  square  their  accounts.  They  seem  to  think  it 
18  legitimate  for  them  to  "  beat  "  a  white  man. 
Of  course  there  are  some  who  will  pay  without 
coercion  their  just  debts.  Among  themselves  they 
pay,  as  they  cannot  get  away  from  it. 

Profanity,  smoking  and  chewing  tobacco,  and 
drinking  are  acquired  vices.  They  are  not  as  yet 
very  profane.  But  they  hear  profanity  so  much 
from  white  men  that  it  sticks  to  them  to  some  ex- 
tent. Some  use  profane  words  without  knowing 
that  they  are  reprehensible.  This  is  seen  in  speak- 
ing to  the  missionary  in  whose  presence  they 
would  not  use  "  bad  "  words  if  they  knew  them 
to  be  such. 

Not  a  few  are  addijCted  to  smoking,  but  very 
few  chew  tobacco.  The  older  women  are  particu- 
larly fond  of  snuff,  and  some  of  them  use  the  pipe 
also. 

It  is  only  just  to  say  that  among  them  there  are 
those  who  eschew  all  of  these  evils  and  live  good 
moral  lives. 


'■-V. 


xxn 

DISEASES 

WHILE  certain  diseases  have  always  been 

iow  affliTI?  *^'  ^^'?««*«'  "the'^s  that 
tion  T«m^nt  *  ^^^"^  ""!  °'  '•«'^<'"'  introduc- 
tion. Tumours,  cancers  and  toothache  were  nn 
known  to  them  until  within  recS?  yea^s  tT^ 
S  ,*?««. •'."^o  y«t  «°«"d  and  excellent  teeth 
while    he  rismg  generation  experience  the  white 

Kiltorrurt''''"^  "'  •='*^''*«'  ^-'''-^^  «"»d 

lrT,«n^*'?"'°  '"T""  "8^''*y  y«a"  old  or  more,  and 
^fJ?/".^^-'  ¥*  l**^^"-  ^od  th«  toothache,  and 
aoiiar.    Un  the  other  hand,  a  woman  vof  i„  t,o- 

i»e  ■;»  rMttr™'  '^  °'>  ■"""■" 

While  consumption  is  now  the  most  prevalent 
disease  among  them,  we  are  told  b/the  nlti^P, 
themselves  and  by  careful  historians  that  it  is  an 

S'th/wh-?'"-    ",'^^/.   I'-'^i^"  calls  tiwcu 
losis    the  white  man's  disease,'  and  so  far  as  I 

to  lt^''\^>''  *''-''.^''°  "  ^*«  practically  unknown 
to  him  in  his  uncivihzed  state."    It  is  common  to 
hear  consumpUon  spoken  of  among  our™peo 
pie  as  "  The  Great  White  Plague.''    This^o^i^d 

S31 


222 


DISEASES 


mdicate  that  it  is  surely  the  white  man's  disease 
Whatever  its  origin  with  the  natives,  it  is  certain 
that  it  has  a  fearful  hold  on  them. 

T^i^f'-tS?,??  ^-  JJ'^*J,°°'  surgeon  and  physician  at 
Fort  Wilham  H.  Seward,  Haines,  Alaska,  in  a 
published  report  for  the  year  1907,  states  that  he 
tound  on  investigation  20.6  per  cent  of  the  natives 
of  that  place  afflicted  with  undisputed  tubercu- 
losis, 12  per  cent  of  probable  cases  of  pulmonary 
form,  and  16.2  per  cent  of  tuberculosis  other  than 
pulmonary. 

While  every  village  has  its  quota  of  consump- 
tiOii,  yet  we  are  very  sure  no  other  village  can 
match  this.  We  have  been  reliably  informed  that 
there  are  more  cases  of  venereal  diseases  among 
the  natives  in  that  community  than  in  any  other. 
If  so,  this  would  ac<jount  for  the  prevalence  of 
consumption  there. 

While  this  disease,  without  a  doubt,  carries  off 
to-day  more  natives  than  any  other,  yet  we  know 
that  it  is  not  so  bad  as  it  was  a  decade  or  more 
ago.  The  natives  clothe  themselves  better,  take 
greater  precautions  against  getting  wet  and  catch- 
ing colds,  live  under  better  sanitary  conditions 
and  employ  competent  physicians  far  more  than 
they  ever  did  before.  This  naturally  tends  to 
lessen  the  prevalence  of  the  disease.  Other 
physicians  of  eminent  ability  declare  that  Dr.  Hut- 
ton's  report  is  an  exaggeration.  They  found  that 
cases  which  were  considered  by  him  as  con- 
sumptives were  not  such  at  all.  The  author  is 
positive  that  the  mortality  among  the  natives  of 
southeastern  Alaska,  at  least,  is  not  extraordinary. 
Some  sickness  and  death  must  be  expected.  Of 
course  these  should  be  diminished  to  the  fullest 
extent.    But  to  raise  the  cry  that  the  natives  are 


SMALLPOX,  ETC.  229 

fSor'^se'""'""''  ^"'^  '^'  ^^«^'  -  "Either 
hi^^i^f  ?  were  the  least  doubt  about  consumption 

f^  f^D  ^"^!  scourge  was  introduced,  accord- 
ing to  Bancroft,*  in  the  year  1836.  Since  then  ?t 
has  appeared  from  time  to  time  with  more  orless 

triummer'^n?  ^f^i'^'^r''  "'  ™«"P°-  "«  i« 
lae  summer  of  1901,  when  scores  were  carrwH 

away  by  it    The  natives  travel  about  so  muTand 

are  so  careless  about  spreading  diseases  that  when 

this  loathsome  disease  breaks  out  it  soon  goes 

from  one  end  of  the  country  to  the  othe?     Their 

communal  style  of  living  and  the  unsanlLry  coi 

ditions  of  their  villages  highly  favour  it     For 

reSTrir it"'^"^ ''  '"'''''''  °"*  ^-'^-^^  --t^^t^ 

+».f^'if°/™^  °^  venereal  diseases  are  legacie-  of 
the  white  man  to  the  natives.  Diseased  sai  b 
?uTd  thr"  f^'  «nd  American  whalers  fniro 
S  sn1^"^-^"°^.  contagious,  and  the  natives 
Deing  so  indifferent  to  the  spread  of  diseases 
venerea  afflictions  are  common  Much  of  it  now 
IS  inherited.  Thus  the  sins  of  their  fathers  arl 
visited  upon  their  children.  lamers  are 

The  prevalence  of  syphilis  is  no  sign  of  whole- 
sale immorahty  as  it  spreads  by  contagion  and 
inheritance,  and  many  innocent  ones  af  is  seen 
among  the  children,  are  tainted  with  the  disease 
The  careless,  uncleanly  life  of  the  average  natTve 
favours  Its  spreading  and  perpetuation. 

ea^rand'^pr7f°°P'°!-"'"«^,"/^  ™P°rted  dis- 
thfl^'  AT  ^^'T'.f^w  native  children  now  escape 
fr!^;  ^^""f^  '?  ^^'T^  ^^""''s  ^th  them,  as  it 
sSptlon      terminates    in    pneumonia    or   Ln- 

'"History  of  Alaska,"  page  560. 


i 

■1 

i 

$'1'i\ 

"1 

'1 

i^'i  '■ii| 

***  DISEASES 

The  original  diseases  of  the  Thlingets  are  pneu- 
monia, rheumatism,  scrofula,  blood  diseases, 
ophthalmia,  neuralgia  and  pulmonary  hemor- 
rhages. Strange  to  say,  fevers  such  as  typhoid, 
scarlet,  malanal,  etc.,  are  scarcely  known  in 
Alaska.  We  would  naturally  suppose  that  fevers 
ot  this  nature  would  thrive  among  a  people  so 
untidy  m  their  homes,  but  such  is  not  the  case 
It  may  be  accounted  for  on  the  grounds  that  the 
temperature  never  rises  high  enough  to  create 
excessive  heat  and  rank  decomposition  of  dead 
vegetation;  that  the  prevalent  rains  purify  the 
atmosphere;  that  they  live  on  beaches  swept  by 
tides,  and  that  they  have  the  purest  water  in  the 
world  for  drinking  and  cooking  purposes  Of 
course  we  now  refer  to  the  natives  of  the  coast. 

We  frequently  see  Thlingets  afflicted  with  tu- 
berculosis of  the  hip.  ■•  Ophthalmia  is  a  prevalent 
disease,  much  of  it,  we  believe,  being  due  to 
smoke  Comparatively  speaking,  only  recently 
Have  the  natives  employed  stoves.  Their  life  was 
practically  spent  around  an  open  fire,  in  the  house 
as  well  as  outside.  They  could  scarcely  sit  around 
these  fires  without  being  more  or  less  enveloped 
with  clouds  of  smoke. 

Pott's  Disease  is  another  form  of  tuberculosis 
which  we  meet  with  among  them.  For  this  rea- 
son we  see  humpbacks  everywhere,  and  not  a  few 
have  died  from  tuberculosis  in  this  form. 

Seldom  do  we  find  eases  of  insanity  and  idiocy 
among  the  natives.  Where  insanity  has  mani- 
tested  itself  disease  has  been  at  the  bottom  of  it 
They  certainly  are  not  driven  to  it  from  worry, 
like  so  many  of  their  white  brothers.  Aside  from 
some  petty  annoyances,  they  have  little  to  worry 
about.    The  simple  life,  an  a  rule,  gives  sUght 


SANITATION  g^S 

Si^nf  ^^"^  ^^-"""^  "'*'"*'''  disturbance.  The  in- 
Tr  t^^^I  °°''  'f '^"?  ?«y'™8  come  mostly  from 
""1,,'nore  complex  civilization.  ^ 

The  natives  have  no  knowledge  of,  and  annar 
ently,  no  concern  about,  sanitation  ''I^bS^ 
garments  and  old  shoes  lyinerotZir  ,„  tf.       -^^ 

"Prom  c  free  open  life  they  wore  chan^o^  f« 

&.pse'SS^':S'3H 

of  good  sweet  frlh'-''^P'''''^i''"^  "^  *»»«  ^«'»e 
fo/n^aS's?£ssron"g"  tt?  '^^^^^^^''^ 

ji;|;ir^S£Saat  ?hetm?v» 
disposition  of  garbage  is  also  a  fmitfTci  o? 

hII^^*^®  Alaskans,"  writes  Ballon,  "have  no 
Idea  of  sewerage,  or  of  the  proper  disDosal  of 
domestic  refuse.  All  accumulSs  of  twrsort 
f„l^"ir  ^-"l*  °'^*«'''«  the  doors  of  their  dwell 
utties^'^Tlrl'^^*^  ""r^''^-'  i'^  S  wh  h 
45 tier  ^:.''!^LS^^^J^ 

*  Button. 


286 


DISEASES 


A  campaign  has  been  inaugurr-ted  by  the  irov 
ernment  school  authorities  agaiost  tWs  unsanifZ 
condition  in  native  villages  But  unless  there  ^ 
some  way  to  enforce  obedience  to  estabUshed  rules 
and  regjilations  little  will  be  accomplished  if  w| 

XL^?v*^^  ^^  *•??  '•'^"^  f'^""'  efforts  of  otheTs 
along  this  same  line.  The  natives,  while  ine  ined 
to  listen,  give  very  little  heed  to  any  hyrienfc  and 
sanitary  instructions.  ^  "ygienic  and 

They  have  no  icnowledge  of  medicine  nroner 
nursing  or  car  ng  for  the  sick.  In  S  efforts 
to  help  the  sick,  their  remedies,  aside  from  the 
rites  of  shamanism,  are  very  crade  and  sSidIg 
They  gather  herbs  and  appfy  them  to  the  sfck 
sometimes  raw  and  sometimes^ooked.  They  also 
steep  roots  and  herbs  and  use  the  liquor^from 
them,  for  medicine.  The  old  women  are  Jl^ 
f^Zltll  ^^'^  '"''!^"«  "°t  «  little  superst  tion 
barlof  th7/°-,'?l''"'«;,  ^,°'  scrofula  ftenner 
DHpd  Tii\  T  *"  "^^'?*^.°"  ^«'«  outwardly  ap- 
C-nT  ^^""^  ^^^  .'^"^•^  ^'"^  g'-oiJnd  to  powder. 
Bleeding  was,  and  is  yet,  a  popular  practice 
The    writer    knows    of    one   native,    a  Tad  ng 

ZX  '°  H'n'''^'"""'*^'  ^1^^^««  shoulders  and 
back  are  full  of  scars,  the  result  of  cuttings 
for  the  purpose  of  bleeding.  For  six  otS 
years,  every  fall  when  he  has  returned  from 
his  summer's  fishing,  he  has  callld  Tone  o^ 
the  local  physicians  (white)  to  do  the  cutting 
and  by  request  of  the  native 'himself  I  have    tood 

mar«^t  r*r'^"'*,f?P«  "f  these  operations.  The 
malady  he  has  each  time  sought  relief  from  by  this 
drastic  method  is  rheumatism  or  sciatica  In 
every  instance  he  has  found  relief.  The  maL  a^ 
parently  is  well  and  strong  to-day.  He  Tprob- 
ably  forty-five  or  fifty  years  old 


TREATMENT  OF  DISEASE  m 

were  little  protected  frZfiltWh^y  ''^^^'  «°<^ 

quent  '    ^  """^    poisoning   is    not    infre- 

a  b^ncrofeLtTdo^  """1°.^  f ««'  ^^ey  insert 

pus  thaTLs  artached  L  it^^Th^-  ^^^  ^*  ^"  *« 

riro^„t^  ~--o  sw^^  -£ 


S28 


DISEASES 


S-rSeil  "^'""'^^  '^^  «*--  ^  their 
Some  practise  fasting,  when  sick    jminir  fn,. 
days  with  little  or  no  fo!d.    It  has  a  'goWffect 

tL^t.  ^  be  fewer  dyspeptics  and  less  illness 
They  have  what  are  called  "  rubbers  "    T^mVa 

^.Iwr^l^  °'<*  ^""•^'^  ^'•^  prof^s  to  be  able  by 
rubbing  the  person  with  their  hands,  to  effect 
cures  They  claim  to  be  especially  effective  wfth 
any  kmd  of  stomach  trouble.  These  mbblrs  are 
ttir^sSe's!'  '"'  *'*^  "^"^^  «  ^'^  «SSe  for 
They  have  practically  no  knowledge  of  nursinir 

ask  lof  wWh  ''"^^  ?'"  «^rP  *"  «**  whatever  thef 
ask  for,  whether  it  is  good  for  them  or  not.  Thev 
humour  them  and  think  it  is  wrong  to  deny  them 
anything  they  call  foh    If  prescribed  fo?  by  a 

&TVt\T^'^'  ''  hv  poorly  adSL 
istered.  It  is  not  given  regular  y  nor  in  quantitv 
according  to  the  prescription.    l/the  patient  does 

dne'S';^ *"'■  ^^^^«  ""'  •'^  t'^o  doses  of  med' 
cine,  both  the  medicine  and  the  doctor  are  con- 

maftf/' 'if ''  "o.matter  how  chronic  the  diseTe 
may  be.  Almost  mvanably  the  bed  of  the  sick 
18  made  on  the  floor,  while  the  bedstead  is  used 

ifJT\^-^°^''.l^^  °*'^«'-  chattels.    They  are 
often  kept  in  a  stifling  atmosphere  not  fit  for  a 
well  person  to  breathe,  with  a  dozen  or  more  peo 
pie  tramping  about,  talking  and  making  more  or 

i.,f  TIV^  **e  '"T-  'E'^^y  «'«  allowed  to  get  u^ 
and  go  out  in  the  wet  and  cold,  even  when  so  weak 
trom  wasting  disease  they  can  scarcely  stand  on 
loZl'±-  Nothmg  has  been  more  pathetic  th^ 
to  see  natives  emaciated  from  disease  tottering 
about  endeavouring  to  wait  on  themselves  when 


CRYING  NEED  OP  NATIVES  m 

lect,  false  modesty  fn'd  Soranr'''"'"'''^'  °^«^- 
have  hetT:AX:if\'"''^'''  ^^^-^^ 
the  United  Sesgov?M  I?  ?*  '^'-^^ 
shame  that  it  was  not  S  Th.  ^  "  "'y"'* 
humanity  should  have  prompted  it  TZ'.'T-''^ 
to  perpetuate  the  rane  ^^  i  '  ".°°*  "  ^^^^'^^ 
partof  themillion/th«;T,  T'^  ^  infinitesimal 
powder  alone  could  hn  ^"^  '''™  ^"^^^^  ""i  g^- 
purpose,  it  would  ie  f^  ^  ''^'?  'Jf^'^  ^""^  ^^^^  a 
government  '^  """'^  *"  *^«  «'«dit  of  our 

pais t  rS?Ll"rS-'°.^  i^'"'^  ««««» 
Ital  city  Junelu     To  ^tVf^'''''^"'^  ^°  t^^^  «ap- 

ment.    The  facUitiea  fnr  trn     .    ™'^^  ^^P"^  ^'^a*" 

takes  days  and  even  weXtoTof^o^^'^''^  *^"*  '* 
to  Juneau     The  JiZllJ  ?  ^  ■ "°™  ^°™«  Po^^ts 

hospitaUowever  fs^bettPr  r  ''  ""^  "«*'*•    O"" 

thf^t  vSeS  Sa'*"^*  4f  ^''"""'>«-  of 
dose  as  fw!?*  „    V,-!"''®  ^^  ™"ch  medicine  to  the 

thTsame^'ell^StefVLr"^  ^°  P'°^»- 
took  half  a  teasDonnSi    *  1     ?^*'''^^°™8'»^ho 

sleep,  but  without  ava"   "Ul."'^""™  *°  P'^'^^'^^ 
strong  morphinrJeS  acciSTo  ^^^^^ 

to  VS-fte^ S  tt  Si  -^r- 


S80 


DISEASES 


cessive  humidity  is  a  fruitful  source  of  rhenma 

aC'  r  u'-  '?,"«^?  ""'^  consumption     TraveS 
almost  altogether  m  open  boats,  their  clothinir  be 
comes  saturated  with  water;  they  chill  and  a  Wy 
cold  results.    The  women  are  far  less  taref,,!  in 
pro  ecting  themselves  than  are  the  me^    wlik 

Lht  *rnhK  "  r"*  ^''?^^.«  """"d  ■"  slickers  and 
tight  rubber  boots,  the  former  will  be  in  their 
bare  feet  and  scantily  clad. 
Freaks  are  found  among  the  natives  as  well  an 

t'veTh^*^',rP'^-  We  frequently  see  blSna 
tiyes  but  seldom  meet  with  deaf  ones.  Durine 
our  long  residence  in  Alaska  we  have  never  i^t 
with  a  native  mute.  They  are  especiaUy  blesTed 
with  a  good  faculty  of  spewh.  ^ 

Blmdiiess  is  sometimes  inherited,  and  some- 

tW«  «L  Tl^'^'l"'"*^  P^'»PJ«  «°<i  the  indigent 
there  should  be  a  home  where  they  might  receive 
proper  care  and  have  some  of  the  cLforts  of 
life.  As  It  IS,  they  must  be  a  burden  to  their  ne^ 
pie  and  grope  around  as  best  they  can  ^ 

It  only  remains  to  be  said  that  there  are  some 
natives  who  live  on  a  higher  plane  of  life  than  the 
average.  These,  know  better  how  to  care  tol 
themselves  in  sickness,  have  better  homes  and 
more  conveniences  and  employ  good  physicians 
As  along  o  her  lines,  so  in  the  cafe  of  CTes 
and  their  sick,  they  are  advancing.  """"'ves 


xxm 

RELIGION 

^^supernatural  powerro^  evolts  b^ir/out 
of  his  own  imagination  whom  he  thus  cSs 

Ueve«  tLv^P'^P'""*"'  '°  proportion  aThe  be- 
uraiiy  grope  atter  the  Supreme  Being,  "  if  hanlv 
they  may  find  Him."  The  ThlinKets  of  ASr 
are  no  exception  to  the  rule      ^*^**  °^  ^^^^^^ 

no?e7reSarnroftei?;  iffc  r f »-' 
ceremonies  that  might 'Sperfy  be'  ca°li:f?eli' 
gious,  in  early  days.    They  were  truly  heathen 

They  have  been  called  demonologists  or  dpvil 
worshippers   but  they  never  worsWpped  demon  " 
nor  the  devil.    They  had  no  idea  of  the  latter  until 

is^^Ert^Ki^^SSi^^^-Sn!; 

spirits,  yet  it  can  hardly  be  said  that  thi/bplilf 
attamed  the  dignity  of  LeliS     The  ThlSg^f 


tax 


RELIGION 


f  JJlf  r^"*^  i°  t''^  existence  of  evil  spirits  is  the 
foundation  of  shamanism.  They  propitiate  and 
conjure  with  these  imaginary  evil  spir/ts  in  order 
to  purchase  their  good  will,  but  they  do  not  wor- 
wrfofi  ^-k  ^.^^'na'"™  '8  ono  grand  effort  to 
wrestle  with  these  supposed  evil  spirits  and  ob- 
tain immunity  from  them.  But  their  belief  in  the 
rel?  *oT  **    ^^'"*^  '"^^  °®^*'^  elevated  into  a 

.,11  J'^cu  ^^o'-'Kinal  belief,"  writes  Ballon,  "  is 
called  Shamanism,  or  the  propitiating  of  evil 
spmts  by  acceptable  offerings.  It  is  significant 
that  the  same  faith  is  participated  in  by  the  Si- 
berians, on  the  other  side  of  Bering  Strait     This 

f«i?h  ^?Ti,°/t"T°^'  ^°^.  "J  ^^^^«^on;  it  was  the 
taith  of  the  Tartar  r^ce  before  they  became  the 
disciples  of  Buddhism?"  ^ 

,  It  is  but  a  step  from  spiritualism  to  a  belief 
in  ghosts.  The  Thlingets  believe  firmly  in  the 
itiV\^'"'l'^'''-*±  (Land-otter-man)  is  their 
chief   hobgoblin.    The   spirits   of   the   drowned 

w^?'*^'"T'^ ,?  *^®  ^"'^^^^  °ear  the  watercourses 

mi  *°,S?,.   ""y  «°  ^ay  ""ack  into  the  interior. 

The  Thlmgets  have  been  called  ancestor  wor- 
Bhippers.  While  they  have  a  profound  respect 
and  reverence  for  their  departed  ancestors,  yet 
they  do  not  worship  them.  They  believe  in  the 
continued  existence  of  their  spirits  after  death, 
and  even  call  on  these  spirits  for  favours,  but  this 
belief  never  led  them  to  worship  the  departed  as 
our  Catholic  constituency  worship  saints 

^"I'^'ml'^y  ''"^e  been  called  animal  worship- 
pers.       They  seem  to  entertain,"  writes  Ballon, 

a  sort  of  animal  worship,  a  reverence  for  special 


NOT  ANIMAL  WORSHIPPERS  ssa 

oSctr'^Thev  ^I'v  t'  ^/r  <^°  ""^  *«"»»iP  these 
of  their  reverend  and  nr'"'?»-VPP'°»°h  '*  became 
the  anL7sZZt:daVtoteT'&^f?  T"''' 

obeisance^Xm  anh:';;UdTo  deitr  Srfa? 
dfdThi^'te.""^  *V^«™'  tt^Thligetstve- 
worshippers     *^  'P''"'"'^'  "'^J^  ^«'«  °ot  animal 

sm  and  to  t?;       *"  7^^  ""'"^'"^  '•'ss  than  fetish- 
ism, and  to  this  extent  was  practised  by  them. 

tar.t  ^^  «^°"P'ies,  where  not  brought  into  con- 

Itm  rTtlT"'"'""''".*  ''*°«'«  «'>d  missionarTes 
stUl  retain  their  system  of  fetish  ivnr=i,;J;  u„  „  ' 


--.-   ..„„  suvciuiueni  scnools  and  mis« 
li'Jy'^Z  !!'.T.5.e-„°!Jltish  woTshinr^ng 

medicine 


,,LX         u        ,    system  ot  fetish  worsl 
spirit  world,  so  feared  by  the  average  savage." 


M4 


RELIGION 


Thoy  bplieved  firmly  (and  do  yet)  in  the  im- 
mortality of  man.  Kor  this  reason  they  put  food 
in  the  flro,  and  food  and  clothing  in  the  tomb  of 
the  dead;  placed  food  and  clothing  on  the  honge- 
top  for  those  killed  in  war  (whose  spirits  ore  sup- 
posed to  hve  in  the  air),  and  canoes  beside  the 
(leadhouses  of  their  deceased  shamans. 

The>  believed  firmly  (and  some  do  yet)  in  the 
transmigration  of  the  soul,  but  not  in  the  spnse 
ot  the  ancient  Egj-ptian's  belief.  They  believe 
that  the  soul  transmigrates  from  relative  to  rela- 
tive, but  not  from  man  to  animals.  For  instance, 
if  a  nephew  dies  who  has  borne  some  peculiar 
mark  (perhaps  a  birthmark)  on  his  person  and  an 
aunt  should  afterwards  give  birth  to  a  sot  who 
was  similarlv  marked,  it  would  be  fully  b.  levcd 
that  the  newly  bom  was  none  other  than  the  de- 
parted nepiiew  and  his  name  would  be  given  to 
the  child.  It  is  in  this  sense  that  they  believe 
m  transmigration. 

.  The  place  where  the  souls  of  the  departed  dwell 
IS  known  as  the  "  ghost's  "  or  the  "  spirit's  " 
home.  The  word  for  ghost  is  the  same  as  for 
spint.  The  word,  for  soul  is  ki-ya-ktyi,  meaning, 
also,  picture  or  shadow.  When  this  ki-ya-hi-ya 
leaves  the  body,  if  the  person  dies  a  natural  death 
and  was  not  a  slave,  it  goes  to  the  happy  region 
of  spirits,  which  is  thought  of  as  being  in  some 
remote  part  of  the  earth;  if  he  die  in  war,  then 
it  goes  to  dwell  in  the  sky;  if  drowned,  then  it 
descends  to  a  region  below  the  plane  of  this  earth, 
providing  the  body  is  recovered,  but  if  not  recov- 
ered it  is  captured  by  the  Goosh-td-hd'  and  taken 
back  into  the  woods. 

When  a  person  is  very  unhappy  in  this  world, 
his  uncle  or  aunt  comes  to  him  and  says,  "  You 


PROPITUTION  OF  EVIL  POWERS      MS 

me^'^ThL^Thr^*"  y"?  «"•  Now  come  with 
me.  Then  the  person  dies  and  goes  to  the  hncnv 
region  where  spirits  are  satisfied.  ^^^ 

According  to  tradition,   one  soul   came  bank 
^'"■i''*  «Pirit-land  to  tell  the  living  ju'tTow  thev 
should  act  toward  the  dead,  or  departed  spirits 

nyn?f??.'""'*^  ''°"*''^  ^'"^  them  that  Uiey  may 
protect  themselves  against  wild  beasts  and  Te^ 
mies;  gloves  and  moccasins  that  they  may  protect 
their  hands  and  feet  against  devilclubs  and 
briars;  and  water  to  quench  their  thirst  When 
Sr  food^Thin'/^T'^  are  hungry  and  calling 
«^„„  .  u  ^°  '°°^  ""»'  be  put  into  the  fire 

Songs  must  be  sung  to  lead  the  soul.  Feas  s  must 
be  given  as  a  benefit  to  the  spirits.  BelievS 
S  '"viw''  -fl^  Thlinget.  endeavours  to  car^ 
It  out.  New  nfles  are  buried  with  the  dead  as 
weapons  of  defence  for  the  spirit.  The  houses  in 
the  spn  It-land  are  named  the  same  as  the  name 
of  each  one's  deadhonse  in  this  world 

liieir  great  concern  has  been  tc  propitiate  the 
powers  which  they  believed  had  powe?  to  haS 
nnMn,"""  ■^''"'  ^i'"?  ™'=''"«''-  These  powers  we™ 
^nJL^fi^"?"  ^^i^'^^'  ''"*  *''«»'■  totemTc  imaginary 
magnified  animals  to  which  they  assigned  attrT 
butee  appertaining  to  deity.  The  patron  bird  of 
tne  Crow  phratry  is  not  the  small  crow  or  raven 

iW  r  T  fly'"/ «'"'"*■  ''»*  «  """""noth  [mag° 
3  f  ^«'"/,«  ^ '  that  species  possessed  with 
great  8trengt|i  and  full  of  cunning  and  wisdom 
Other  mvisible  powers  which  they  sougl.rto  an-" 
pease  were  the  spirits  that  they  believfd  existed 
about  them  in  almost  untold  numbers 

The  shaman  was  believed  not  oniy  to  possess 
supernatural  power  in  himself,  but  to  be  fn  com! 
mumcation  with  the  unseen  powers  and  have  S- 


M6 


RELIGION 


^  :•;? 


m^'  "i    '^ 


Supreme  Beinp  such  as  Oor?  t^iT^  +  ^  ?,f  "*  * 
use  to  designafeXe  Sup?el  B^gTof'kl (Z 
On.Ko:,a  (Chief) ;  that  is,  the  CMelabove  (oW 
1^^^  Tl?  ^"  evidently  coined  af ter  theV  had 

Ihe  Alaskans  beheve  in  the  existenpp  7,V  n 
Supreme  Being.    They  call  him  ffiZkaoBP 

Olympus,  where  a  fresh  breeze  is  always  bw! 

tneir  term  f(  r  the  Supreme  Beinjr  Thp  iir,,3 
rushed  truth  is  that  so  far  as  we  have  been  Ible" 
*°  ^««'^".  through  years  of  research*  thev  had  rin 
Idea  of  a  deity  like  God  until  they  were  t^aught  it 

Sntre^^ti'J"'^'  'Y^  ^'  ^^^^'  belieTi^'a 
supreme  Buiag.    He  does  not  say,  however  fbnf 

this  beuex  was  original  with  thJi  He  '^'erefv 
jffirms  that  they  have  long  beUeved  this  TW 
Ste'lore^'^  "-^  "«"«'  BeverttbJt^ 

\e?J^lt  ^^f""  ^^!f^ '?  ^^^  existence  of  a  limit- 
i-^?p~T^  °^  'P}"*"'  ^'^^^  Thlingets  have  a  very 
mterestmg  cosmo  ogy.     The  sun  and  the  mlon 
snirifl  f.  *^^  earth,  are  the  abodes  of  numbS 
spmts;  they  are  m  the  woods,  around  lak^s,  abng 


*1:^/,. 


THEIR  COSMOLOGY  fgj 

that  inhibit  thlm^n!,^^  ^\"  *''™"fc-^  *»»«  spirits 
'>'S:F^''^^^^^^^^''  that  pW,e 

Immediatey?hey'lrTf  f  "'"^^'other's  labret.'' 
and  the  one  who  S  it""  "^  '?**'  **•«  «>oo°. 
to  pieces.  The  other  can  -Jilf^t"^  '"'"  ^'°'^"'' 
moon,  holding  her  Set       "^"^^  ^  '"^'  ^  ^^^ 

by  th^L^and  woVKrX\f  '^'"^'^^^  «««* 
hands,  "  Let  meTaveiS' '•*''■  "°^«  "'^  t^^''' 

bnt^L^fcXty&iSttt^lW^  ?^  ^'""^^ 
valuable.  Biir  waves  J^^l'  ^■^\^^^  '^  so  very 
"  black  ravef  "  ehaZr  P™??****^^  by  putting 
was  done"  the' one  SSt""  ^^^I"'  ■^^'«''  thif 
put  this  on  you.°"p£e^47''^<^  ««y.  "  I  have 

to  it.  When  it  b^w  ve,^  h!,f  •^"'^  ^"^  *l"-o^ 
some  one  had  btin  taS  -^  l*.r«  «"<^  that 
as  it  was  believ  d  that  thl^?  the  wolverine, 
control  over  the  north^^nS^'       '""'  ^^^  ^^^'"^ 

AkskMh^wrrrthe'ltrr'!,''"^  •'01^^^^^ 
tian  reiigio^  T^^S^^  ^:t^£^^ 


238 


RELIGION 


church  vas  in  Alaska  nearly  a  centnry  before  any 
other  church  entpred  the  field.  Its  operations 
were  confined  jujcipally  to  the  coast  tribes.  In 
the  communities  where  their  churches  were  built, 
the  priests  enrolled  all  the  natives  as  members. 
During  this  long  century  of  missionary  effort, 
this  church,  if  we  are  to  believe  the  statements 
of  able  historians  on  Alaska,  Sid  little  to  reclaim 
the  natives  from  vice,  immorality  and  heathen- 
ism. 

"  It  must  be  admitted,"  says  Bancroft,  "  that 
the  Greek  [Russian]  church  was  a  failure  through- 
out Russian  America."  Minor  W.  Bruce,  an 
American  writer  whom  no  one  can  charge  with 
being  biased  against  the  Russians,  bears  witness 
to  the  same  truth,  and  Golovin,  a  Russian  writer, 
bears  similar  testimony. 

_  Judging  from  the  conditions  in  which  the  na- 
tives were  found  when  Alaska  was  turned  over  to 
the  United  States,  the  statements  of  these  writers 
would  seem  to  be  just. 

The  Russian  church  has  continued  to  labour 
with  the  natives,  and  with  those  of  their  own  na- 
tionality, down  to  the  present  day.  For  what- 
ever good  has  accrued  to  the  natives  in  the  last 
half  century  through  the  churches,  it  is  entitled 
to_  its  share  of  credit  in  the  work.  Whatever 
might  have  been  the  lives  of  earlier  priests 
of  that  faith,  those  with  whom  we  have  been  per- 
sonally acquainted  and  beside  whom  we  have  la- 
boured, have  been  men  of  good  character  and 
loyal  to  their  work,  living  lives,  so  far  as  we 
know,  beyond  reproach. 

The  first  religious  work  among  any  of  the 
Thiingets  was  at  Sitka  in  the  year  1817.  when 
the  Russians  built  a  church  there. 


PHOTESTANT  MISSIONS 


an'llSratertn'^''.^  I'eldm  Alaska  by 
States  was  he?d  by  an  «^  T  ^^'-^^^  United 
October  13,  1867.  Tlus  wa?l '^\P-l"°  "*  ^itka, 
not  for  the  natives  *""  ^^*«  P^Me  and 

bia^'rtr  b'^rVe'r^S^Ar^k  V."l'«^  ^'"-- 
hshed  by  Protestants  sole  tefrt  l"^  ^''°  "«*«»'- 
work  being  done  for  tho^^  ^-^^  previous  to  any 
eouBtry.   Wble  Ln^  aborigines  in  the  former 

at  Melkhatia  "' ThatTork  r  T  *^^  '°'«^°" 
the  public  eye  that  „n^^^''?^  ''^^°  s"  'ong  in 
here  would  in  an^°e  7^"J  h"-^  ^^^^  "«  ««id 
teem.  The  resultfof  th«  1  f»  i  ""i^^  ^"''"^  ««' 
William  Duncan  Witt  the  M»;  T^  ?'"'""  «f  Mr. 
marvellous,  and  n^  ton^P^r  ''''''^""  °«"^<'«  are 
praise  such  heroic  selfahnf  ^f?  '^°  adequately 
showTi  by  this  m°8sionarv  tn  f  v'*"*  ^'  ^^'  ^^<^^ 
people.  It  is  one  of  ?he  most  thifir  """  ^''".i^hted 
tI^  f  ^history  of  th^wtld""""*^  missionary 

Prote'staTchur  Rmon  J?£'  T^f-"*"*^'^  ^y  any 
was  at  Wrangell,  by  thf  PrA  l'"*!'*'  ""^  ^^^^^^ 
The  following  year  the  sL^'^'^^*'"^°''  '°  1877. 
work  for  thi^nativeratTtd  °''w-'l??'°°  "P^n^d 
decade  of  missionary  effort  of  if, •^V^^'^u*^^  «'«* 
missions  were  estabLhed  and  at  th^""''  '"^"«' 
here  are  sixteen  fields  in  clfi^P''*'^^''*  day 
iio.-ie  where  they  areTo1„„  southeastern  Alaska 
Some   years   flffnr?!.*^  ^^^'^^"^e  work. 

opened  its^wo7k  f^r'  L  Thlin^.^tf  1^ 5   ^^-'^h 
bons  entered  the  field   nnX'*?*''?.'' ''*°''™°a- 

Episcopalians,  and'ff  s"alvattr^r ts  £ 


240 


RELIGION 


P  ^i^^^f  T*'"  *»«  j"8tly  said  that  the  Hon  A 
«;i  ♦     fif*"''^J.<"'<^  Governor  of  Alaska %tos  oat 

1^?Ja     ^^  superstitions  which  formerly  Pre- 
vailed among  these  people  have  to  a  weat  exLnt 

Se\7thrChir'°"^^  *^^  influen'ce^and   eh- 
if -6    \.    <^hnstian  missionaries." 

Pivii  /    ^®  ^".^"^  ^^"'■^s  o'  the  officials  of  the 
eml  government  and  the  missionaries  this  bar 

broken  T'^  So'J^^tr'^^  ""''  been  practkaHy 
,-L*  J  X  ■  ■  '^°™®  °^  tJi®  shamans  have  been  siih 
h^  ?!***  ',T'"?'y  punishment,  in  cases  where 
hoL  ^.J?^'"^  ""^  ''«?<J'ly  be  invoked;  others  havl 
been  indicted  and  convicted,  and  this  toLtW 
with  the  teachings  of  the  mis  ionaries  ha  s^eted 
to  practically  eradicate  from  among  them^h^ 
chief  superstition  to  which  they  we?e  fo?  c^n 
tunes  the  abject  slaves." 

BaX^n'^f/wf*  personally  acquainted  with  M.  M. 
gallon,  as  we  were  with  the  Hon.  A.  P.  Swine- 

iould  not'l^h*-  ^™"'  t''^  •**'"«  «^  '''^  boo^we 

tTe  church      T^  ^'"'ArJ''.?^*^  '""'^  ''•'»'  *°^"<J 
t^fi    ?i    ■  .  °      Alaska,"  we  read:  "Within 

h^^'SnTal^t  r'^  T^*?'  intelligence  has  bS 
fl„sJ^'  5  P*"  through  missionar  es,— self-sacri- 
fi^  ^•'"*^.^*''?'*.'"^°'-^''°  I'ave  sought  by  the?r 
teachmgs  to  abolish  the  wild  superstitions  of  thp 
nahyes.  together  with  their  cruel  Ks  Zhala'n! 

"  The  self-abnegation  and  conscientious  labour 


TESTIMONIES  OP  CHtn^CH  WOHK     .« 

of  aft„,ai,S?'-arieB]  are  truly  worthy 

the  simplest  Christian  prineinlpf  ""'"/'"'*'  *^«^« 
bined  with  common  sXoi  2.1-  """^  -"*^^*'  ''°°'- 
struction  is  mvpn  it,  tjf  j  ?™?'es,  and  where  in- 
.   B?"<"oftTaran^^J:S>;!"d"8tries  of  lif^^. 
^  h'8  "  History  of  Alask^  -  histonan.    We  read 
Protestant  missinaS^s  of 'severlr^ ''^^'•^'  ^'^'^ 
and  especially  the  PresbXrf«n-  i^  ^^"""""lations, 
discouragements,  labon^d  l«^;^7^'  amid  great 
^ain   to  introduce  theh-  faiflf      '"^'  ^."^  ''"t  in 
of  Alaska.    MeanwMe  tSi'^  ff""?*^.  ^^^^  "a^ves 
of  education  hare  been  no  r«''-^  ^^^  «««8» 
It  cannot  be  saiS  fL^  nV^^^  r>ersistent. " 

partisan  of  the  Church  yet^'n^'v  ^^  .^"'''^  "  « 
^^ys^^splendid  tribut  a-e  tr^  t?£  '> 

AiSi.?n:.??£  L'^ji  nt^''^  *^? "  ^-*- 

read  words  of  commendation  n?.f'"?^'<=a''  ^« 

the  ^tliof/cttwiirSr^''  ^«^«  ''^^^  in 

during  th'^ifs^cioote  ffi^'"^  «°°'*  ««"«« 
to  school,  not  only  to  w"^^  ^"^1?  P^opJe  go 
^wn  what  is  right  and  t!f  ^"  ^""^  *""«'  ^ut  to 
Enerlish.  We  are  Lrf  ■  *°  v°  f'''"^'  and  to  talk 
tav.  betted  Hves  whpn"*  ''*'°°'  "°  *•>«*  ^e  may 
So  we  must  noT  dl?awarou^°f?^''''J^°'°  ^'^■ 
,^ork,  and  use  our  tfme  VeH  T'  ''"*  ^^  ""^^t 
learn  all  we  can  to  telln!,  J?  ^^  """^t  try  to 
-t  been  to  school  Su°t"  tCg^oS  ^'% 


248 


REUGIUN 


keep  it.  I  shall  never  forget  it.  This  is  the  most 
precious  time  of  our  life.  So  we  must  keep  it  in 
our  Head. 

Th'iZY  '*  'J  "^^  ^"^®  f"*"""^  "'«»  Well,  we 
Thlinget  people  never  had  schools  among  us  be- 
fore, and  we  didn't  know  how  to  live  right:  now 
we  have  teachers  to  teach  us  how.  It  is  In  school 
we  are  getting  strong.  When  we  grow  up,  we  will 
be  the  leaders  of  our  people.  I  don't  think  they 
know  anvthing  about  the  good  Ufe.    No,  they 

u°»  Vm^  ^i  'T'J'  I"  "^^  ™°«*  t«"  ^^^^  about 
It."    (Mary  R.  Kadashan,  a  Chilkat.) 

"  My  Deab  Friend:— 

"  I  will  tell  you  what  I  think  all  time.  Father 
says  nine  years  old  me.  I  thank  you  for  you  pay 
for  me  my  teacher  says.  My  uncle  says  I  have  to 
stay  here  twenty  years.  I  don't  want  more  than 
five  years.  My  father  is  dead,  so  I  have  no  home. 
My  sister  says  '  DoD't  anywhere  go  you,  just  in 
mission  stay  you. '  My  sister  says  when  fiVe  years 
gone  next  five  year's  more  I'll  stay 

"I  am  trying  to  get  to  the  Third  reader.  I 
hard  study  me  my  second  Reader.  I  am  a  little 
boy  but  I  just  try  to  know  something  more  so 
good  man  me. 

"  Good-bye, 

"  JoHKNiE  Johnson." 

"  I  am  going  to  consider  for  a  few  minutes  the 
opportunities  of  a  young  native  woman  of  Alaska 
yt  course  our  career  in  life  necessarily  must  be 
different  from  that  of  a  white  girl,  although  we 
may  have  had  the  same  schooling.  Our  home  lifo 
bas  been  different,  our  environments  are  different 
and  the  public  does  not  lor\  upon  us  in  the  same 
way,  but  I  am  going  to  prove  to  you  that  there  is 


TESTIMONIES  OF  CHURCH  WORK     ^ 

native  Vn  ha/iX  sidS  ""'''''Xj  '^' 

•r,  makia"  .™Si',«"'' ''''°  >»"  'io™  lU.  and 

the  effortrof  eSion«n„^°''   -^"^y  appreciate 
among  them     ^'"'°"*'''°«1  «iid  religious  workers 

[AfasSf  ire  geC'^t.,?^^'.  '*  ^he  Indians 
on  the  priidplesCchri8tSv^''Thr^'y  y^^-" 

much  more  rapidlVThaf  L*^t?e  X^^^^^ 

highTd^ea^J/Sit^Tifn^  *°-4^  -f "  - 
White  people  i.  AZ'i'C^^JrSi^lZl 


tM 


RELIGION 


that  is  being  done  among  them  is  bearing  fruit 
in  gennine  Christian  men  and  women  " 

We  could  multiply  such  testimony  as  we  have 
now  submitted,  but  the  limitations  of  our  work 
will  not  permit  it. 

^v?^'^   *M?  ^'8°o™nt.   the   thoughtless,   or   the 
vicious  will  be  heard  condemning  and  speaking 

rioniri    ^°"^^  ^°^^  °*  teachers  and  mis- 

No  class  of  men  and  women  are  more  keenly 
?i!?5!  "'their  lunitations  or  more  deeply  deplore 
the  fact  that  the  natives  are  not  as  a  whole  on  a 
much  higher  plane  of  life,  than  the  missionaries. 
iint  as  Kome  was  not  built  in  a  day,  nor  the  Euk- 
hsh  race  evolved  m  a  week,  so  they  know  that  it 
takes  time  to  hft  a  savage  to  a  high  plane  of 
civilization.    And  what  is  more,  if  the  vfeions  of 

Iv!if  ^r"  "?5  u"l'"'*  '"?"««  «»  "nanv  obstacles, 
even  this  could  be  done  much  quicker  than  it  is. 


XXIV 
EDUCATION 

T^^Sn'ff'^Ari^  \"*/  *''«  American  o(y 
cnpation  of  Alaska  before  anything  was 

for  thi^  *'^.°'""  Ko/ernment  or  by  other  aifencv 

Thl  ?n;f^,°'^^'°"  P^  **"«  notices  ot  the  coZtrv 

fh^ V"'V'^'°?''^  ''^  t'l's  direction  was  S  bv 

States^  ^  purchase  by  the  United 

MrJr  S  thisTociotylp^est  SiaUrJ'^? 

Alaska  tLnwl^T  **•?  *'^"««  °^  education  in 

^  T^J        was  otherwise  accomplished  during 

all  the  years  of  Russian  domination. "  ^ 

Were  it  not  for  the  efforts  of  the  Board  nf 

Eg  Sea)  "°  ^"^^  ''''"''''  ^  *''•> 

JaSs'on  sta't.^d"ftl?*r'"*'"  ^^'  ^^^^'  ^'-  Sheldon 
)i«h  »nTn^i  •  *v**»*?^'"^  ^^'^  "  seven  good  Eng- 
lish schools  in  the  Alexander  Archipelago,  six  of 

^nr^r,'^     !f^y^"'^^'    three    of   them    having 

boarding  and  industrial  departments."  * 

The  first  school  for  the  Thlingets  was  estab- 

24S 


P~.  ■  »!■.  avv. 


!/■    ■•■  I 


Miatocorr  hesoiution  tbt  chait 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No.  2) 


13.2 


1^ 

lilJ£ 

1.8 


1125  I  U    1 1.6 


'^i^i^ 


A  APPLIED  IM^GE 

S^  '"3   EosI   Moin   Slr«el 

f,f  RochMlar.   Nsi>   rork         USOO        USi 

^^g  (716)   *82  -  0300  -  Ptione 

^S  (''6)   zee  -  5989  -  Fax 


346 


EDUCATION 


bshed  in  the  year  1877  at  Wrangell  under  the  aus- 
pices of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  in  connec- 
tion with  its  mission  at  that  place.    Mrs.  A.  R 
Sn'n'f'^  f  1?"'  '^'^''^'  *•"«  fi'^t  Protesian 
ww^/%"'^^?*'^^^  °f  ^^^^^^'  ^as  the 
S    A  v}u  ^u""^  ^'i^  P^«P'«  g'°P'°K  "fter  the 
iigbt.    A  httle  band  of  aspiring  natives  who  had 
come  to  Wrangell  from  Port  Simpson,  E.  C, 
where  they  had  received  some  education,  were 
tnnTi^  '!°'^?  what  they  could  to  impart  their 
knowledge  to  their  fellow-men  of  the  former  place. 
Ihns  the  missionary  found  the  soil  prepared  for 
OMn^ets         ^"^^^    °^    education    among    the 
By  1882  six  schools  had  been  established  at  dif- 
terent  places  among  the  Thlingets  by  the  same 

As  fast  as  new  missions  opened  up,  schools  were 
established  in  connection  with  them.  For  the  first 
decade,  after  the  Presbyterian  Church  entered 
Alaska,  it  alone  cared  for  the  education  of  the 
natives. 

"  American  governmental  control  left  to  abso- 
lute neglect  for  eighteen  years  the  important 
question  of  education  [of  the  natives  of  Alaska] 
.  .  .  stimulated  by  appeals  from  officers  of  the 
army,  American  missionary  societies  were  not  en- 
is77^*,?*'^i^'*^,"'  "^  Alaska's  necessities,  and  in 
1877  the  Presbytenans,  through  their  agent,  Dr. 
isheldon  Jackson,  established  schools  in  south- 
eastern Alaska,  their  example  being  soon  followed 
by  other  missionary  societies." 

According  to  the  same  authority  (Greely)  the 
government  did  not  assume  its  duties  in  the  edu- 
cation of  the  natives  until  it  was  "  finally  forced 
by  pubhc  opinion  "  to  do  so. 


NEGLECT  OF  U.  S.  GOVERNMENT      847 

attention  of  the  Commissioner  of  Education  to  f  hi 
provision  made  by  law  for  the  eduSn  "i  chil 
dren  m  Alaska,  regardless  of  race.  ''" 

Aiter  incessant  appeals  Congress  approuriated 
S  fZlf^  sum  of  twenty-five  thousTd  dollars 
plant  o?1rn'°*^!,*-"-"*<'''y-  Having  no  schoo 
over  to  tI,i^v,°  "•  *'"'  appropriation  was  given 
Zth  iL  \°'TT^!,  "'^'l  government  contracted 
tTve«  t"^  V"";^  «"*"■  ^^^  education  of  the  na 
tiyes  m  particular.  The  missions  "  generouslv 
supplemented  the  deficient   support  of  the  na 

feeble  !ff^r!^ff  "/  *'°  ^!,^^'  ^^^'^  "a^i"?  this 
of  the  tZZ:  *°  ^".something  for  the  education 
ot  the  natives,  nothing  better  was  done. 

bchoo  houses  were  finally  built,  practically  in 
every  village.     Only  the  rudimentrof  EnJlish 

year^igofi  Th  8°^'^f  "?»*  s'^^ools  down  to  the 
year  IWS.  The  only  training  of  this  kind  had 
been  in  connection  with  the  mission  schools  The 
sfhaTo^sJ^t'''  training  school  of  ThTco  Jt; 
of  Hnmf  fit-'*. conducted  by  the  Women's  Board 
of  Home  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
Suence  n^*r  has  exerted  greater  educatbnai 
influence  on  the  natives  than  all  other  agencies 
mLZf'^''\  ^*  ^^«. established  in  isl)  and 
more  natives  have  received  instruction  here  than 
at  any  other  institution.    Children  from  all  over 

Jnf,MT/'K'"^-'°  "^  "'  ?°^  '°  °°  ye^"-  i"  its  histo^ 
could  It  begin  to  receive  all  applicants  for  admi^ 
sion.    Many  natives  have  been  doomed  to  aTfe 
of  Ignorance  by  our  government's  failure  to  pro 
vide  education  for  them.    For  years  the  schoo 
could  receive  applicants  for  admission  oSy  as  it 


^i  f 


248 


EDUCATION 


filil^'ff^  '*^  .graduates  and  those  who  had  fnl- 

?oriew7„^r,r  °'  •'°''*'^'=*'  ""^  *^^"«  -«<^«  -°- 

noJUtnli^i!:'^"^  '^'•"^  ^'^^^  "»'•  government  did 

school  f^r?>.  ^^"f-  "«"'  ^  r  "-«1»'PP«d  training 
scHool  for  the  natives  of  Alaska.    Nor  does  it 

havrionrhr'  *°  \f^'H  *^«  ^^^^  the  n^ssfons 
fnllv  ii? \.  '^:?'®  ^•'^y  "^^  "^"t  fi"d  the  natives 
custUf^nnn'^/"'^  emancipated  from  their  old 
wnnlTh  •  ^^  '*  °?*  *""=''  ^'"*  tlie  missions  they 
Xi^^nf'?,,'^'"''^  Ignorance  to  this  day  for  aV 
effort  that  the  government  has  made. 
tar..^-  f^  Industrial  School  is  the  most  in- 
teresting feature  of  the  town  [Sitkal  because 
one  cannot  fail  to  realize  how  much  good  ft    s 

and°'^i'ii'»:f  ^  ?  ^^'  ^"^  °^  P^^««"l  civilization 
and  real  education  among  the  natives.  At  this 
wnmg,  there  are  nearly  ^one  hundred  boys  and 
about  sixty  girls  and  young  women,  who  are  under 
the  parental  care  of  the  institution!  The  teaching 
force  consists  of  a  dozen  earnest  workers,  mostlf 
ladies  from  the  Eastern  States.  Besides  the 
?h?!?y  English.branches  taught  in  thes  hool! 
the  girls  are  trained  to  cook,  wash,  iron,  sew 
knit  and  to  make  their  ov^  clothes'  The  boys' 
are  taugnt  carpentry,  house-building,  cabinet- 
making,  blacksmithing,  boat-building,  shoemaiing 
and  other  industries.    The  work  of  the  school  if 

half  r^f  t*^  ^^^}  """^  ^7  ^""^  «''!  attends  school 
half  a  day  and  works  half  a  day.  The  results 
thus  brought  about  are  admirabll  Fiflen  dif! 
;^«i  «V"  f  ^J^  represented  in  this  Sitka  Indns- 
W  ItTl-  .E°f '-^h-speaking  young  natives  who 
have  been  trained  here  readily  obtain  good  wages 
fW  «rri°'f '  '"  **■?  fl«h-canneries,  and  wherever 
they  apply  for  employment  among  the  white  resi- 


SWINEFORD'S  TESTIMONY  249 

this  institution     nrwhor''^  *."  *^''.«'«"ts  of 
etl^tTv^t^a^^r^-S^a^S^^ 

both^tILl-/,5ti^^^ 

done  their  best  with  thoT^  -Ihe  missions  have 

But  the  very  bel  of  tLrf^'  ^\  *^"''  """^mand. 
of^oney,  poUy  eqliJ'p^'J  ^^^°°>«  ^"«.  ^^^  lack 

poral  welfare  of  men  tL  """'I**""  *°  **»«  t^^- 
interests  has  been  ass'iJ./r';?  °^'°'°«  "^  t^ese 
the  government  has  nT™J^  *^^  ''^""^  ^«««»«e 
for  them.  Schools  hoi^M  ^  adequate  provision 
for  the  indigent  SsSf;=°t^^.?°^^<'^'  ''"'"es 
maintained,  if  not  conTpoS  institutions  should  be 
government  •="°'^"«ted  and  controlled,  by  the 

whre°'.^ck™ren?er  ^^%^*  «°*^^  -'"'oIb- 
that  enter  oShanal,  t,'"'*^  ''.-^'"'^^  °'Phans 
less  that  nee^  hoTe3  'of  S" '"''^T*  ^""^  ^'^P- 
govemment's.  P^hlvJjf^^  ''"'^  """^^  The 
are  within  the  pale  of  thp  ^^  S^""  ?"t  "^  ^^^em 
church  is  supposed  to  JSf  ^I"'f-  ^""^  ^^t  t^e 
the  support  of  such  -niffnH  '*'  ^!.°?'^'  ''"^ens 
stances  is  doingTttithoutrir' •'"''*  ''^  """"y  »>»- 

-Aiasta,.  b/4o„,Tai  30  "^^  contributions 


■    T 

If 

*.,■  . 

ii|f 

h     ll:i 


stso 


EDUCATION 


frih^f^*""*^""'"'''*'''  ''^"«^««'  ^l^ile  a"  are  con 
tnbutmg  to  the  government.  A  small  part  of  th( 
public  money  wasted  on  foolish  functions,  naval 
displays  and  use  ess  court  procedures  would  more 
tuan  maintain  all  such  needed  institutions. 
.  ^'^^  "^7  Presbyterian  Mission  plant  in  Sitka 
18  an  institution  m  which  we  may  take  a  just  pride 
It  was  bu.lt  a  a  cost  of  about  one  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars,  is  fully  equipped  for  its  work  and 
has  a  very  efficient  corps  of  instructors.  It  is 
the  only  industrial  training  school  of  its  kind  and 
iLf'J ■K^^}^l^"'^.V  *^«  country.  The  church 
of  t),  J"i«t-  «b°"'d  have  the  everlasting  gratitude 
of  the  natives  and  of  the  white  citizens  of  the 
atTeart  *^*  ^^^  interests  of  the  land 

t2h  ^P^erament  is  now  trying  to  graft  indus- 
tnal  traming  on  to  its  ordinary  day  schools  with- 
out supplying  competent  trainers.  Women 
teachers  who  know  little  or  icthing  about  indus- 
tnes  for  men  are  expected  o  teach  such  in  con- 
nection with  all  their  other  school  work.  This  is 
no  reflection  on  the  noble  band  of  school  teachers 
iHl5^°''f'''V''^°l'  f  ^^^^^'■'-  They  are  well 
villi  *°v,  T^^  what  they  should  be  expected  to 
teach,  the  English  branches,  kindergarten  and 
sloyd  work.  But  for  the  government  to  suppose 
for  one  moment  that  the  present  system  is  all  that 
IS  required  to  tram  the  natives  in  the  various 
industries  of  hfe,  or  that  it  takes  the  place  of  a 
well-equipped  industrial  training  school,  is  the 
sheerest  nonsense.  The  teachers  under  the  pres- 
ent system  do  the  best  they  can,  but  they  are 
to  meet  assigned  tasks  beyond  their  ability 

The  natives  show  an  aptitude  in  acquiring  and 


NATIVE  APTITUDE  FOR  TRADES      m 

SrVuhl^tlf^f  is  little  less  than  sur- 
they  build  their  0^  W*™T^  '"  c«'T>entry 
their  boats.  Some^n  fi?J  ',  ^°<^  ™«°y  of  them 
them  are  skilffi^verf '  What  r.'^"  ^^^^  "^ 
not  master,  and  tharwell  if  f.  *"*^?  '"'"''*  t^ey 
petent  and  sufficient  S,m-    7  ""'^  i^«<^  «"n- 

What  they  get  from  «-°  • 
nient  schools  if  goodTo  far  ^,'1?'"°  ^""^^^oyem- 
deficient.  ""^  ^^  't  goes.    But  it  is 

«uc?:*XSV'\rtlr,.*^-^?-' country, 
tinning,  piu^binJ^'i^-J'^S^ff'Wacksmithin^ 
taught  the  native  youth  Mddrp=  *''''?  "'^""''^  ^e 
domestic  sciences  to  the^irlfri^.??  """^  ti>e 
be  done  by  the  ewJ^Lftt  ^""^  ^''is  should 
dustrial  system  al^^  *  ■^'"'''^^  «"ch  an  in- 
Pennsylvan^a  or  at  Chemaw'f  n°°  "*  ^arMe, 
at  the  educat  on  of  thp  n^?-  '  °J^8''°-  Playing 
government  should  come  to  a^end  ^^T^"  ^^'^^ 
real  and  substantial  bf  giten  them'  ""'^  '°'"^*^« 

defid:nra%X?l!ol'&^^^M"l«<^«  ""^^r  so 
an  eAcient  one  In  snltl  nf  T-^  5?  ''""^  "°<ier 
and  the  poor  eauinmpnf  ?    *^": '^'^^^vantages 

some  who^re  nowSoHpLi"""'"'"*^'  ^«  have 
ministers,    skilled   mhTprir^*'lu''.^««istants  to 

smiths,  s  IversmUhs  earn'  ^  "^^^'''  '•'^'''^- 
amongthemerrd\ooffif'  T^  shoemakers 

schools  '?n  'i:  ttatt' w^''"''  *«  *''^  government 

churches  to  enter  SSscSa^ndP-'''"^*^   "^^   '^' 
sent  by  them.  ^°°'^  ^^>  ^  most  eases, 


•■!:  :;i|li 


202 


EDUCATION 


the^J'hpluh*^  tV^^  •^*^**«  '«  =°t  conducive  to 
kindri  ^i„^     The  wide  separation  from  the  r 

Mv/fh«PJ^"/^'i?'°'"«  ^""^  homesickness  which 
pave  the  way  for  disease.    No  peonle  on  enH-h  nr^ 

Sei*"tW  V  '°'"?  '""'^  theSi^r  Home! 
them     if  fhl  T'  iu  ^  I*""'"'"'  °»«lady  ^th 
of  flv«  nr  ^J  ^^^^  *^''°"»'^  *h«  contract  period 
?L,      ""^  ^^'^  y^ars,  as  required  by  the  schools 
they  ^row  away  from  home-life  and  when  thev 

WcJnTenter^T."^  ^^^1*''^  withTanft 
of  feelW  «n^  ^^^Y  P^^P'^  '"'"'^e  tlie  change 
follows  1-Vt^f-  ^"  fs^Dgement  between  them 
lollows.    If  their  training  had  been  in  the  midst 

take  place!'""' '  '"""^  estrangements  would  not 

of  aK Hit  ^°T.^f  ?°  '"'"'^  *•"»*  the  natives 
^Lf  I       will  stick  to  their  own  country  until  the 

thP^  w-n  ^^P'^-ed- ,No  considerable  dumber  of 

r„„!?  xT^u™^^*  ,*«''*  t'le'r  fcaMles  for  a  liveli- 
hood Nothing  should  be  done  to  break  the 
Alaskan's  attachment  to  his  country  or  to  make 

Snldr"*'"*"'*  ^i*''  ''  ""'^  hi8%eop?e  He 
should  be  encouraged  to  no  his  education  for  the 
enlightenment  and  amelioration  of  his  people 
His  education^  and  training,  therefore  should  be 
given  him  in  his  own  land  '  °"""'"  "" 

ih7l^r^  ^°^  ^^l"**'  ^^°  were  educated  in 
ill  ^o  A I  ^^^  ''^^  ?^°"y  ""^«PPy  «'ter  return 
ZtP^  in  ff  •"•  ^^^  *''<'''■  education  been  con- 
ducted m  their  own  country  they  would  not  have 
been  thus  weaned  awEy  from  itf  This  would  bl 


REASON  FOR  HOME  EDUCATION      859 

to  help  elev^ate  ^eir  °l'leo„Te  T?  "."',  ""''^'^ 
with  th  8  feelino-  ihaT     ''^"P'^  as  a  whole.    But 

an  isolated  life  lwi7frZ'*!i°'',  '^^'^  "«  ^o  live 

our  schools  and  retmihn^p'^  who  have  been  in 

form  to  the  comLlnadvTlit  °  B„Tw  '"  '''?^ 
like  to  see  moro  «p   "«"*«  uie.    But  we  would 

and   attainm'^ns   for^t'^  3t  *^f  ..^''■"''««°' 
people.  "^"^  "P""   of  their  own 

glaily^fmSf  tftlS""^ir  ^^'""'"^  «°d 
instruction,  eapecMwlTiT^ I'^?^^^  **>«"  for 
Many  individuaf  easels  t^vr^l':'^?  *?«''"  children, 
came  acquainted  wprfnf"*  ^^''^  *^«  a»thor  be- 
intew  :  ;n!?„  i^  ^.^^  of  much  more  than  ordinarv 

culturf.  Su?et7M°^in"i'!?'  *«.««*«  intellectual 
encouragement  -'  ""^^^t'^e  is  worthy  of  all 

them,  at  least/aTotVlTerhrpareVu! 


rt(      JUM     I 


EDUCATIOV 


Mi 

ss.'r-ttiSt.tir'""  "'"'^  p™ 

year  sees  cha^s  ii  thi  fJo ''*  i?^«««-  ^^^^ 
these  people    It  is  ^3%  ^'^«s  and  manners 

that  i£  aChe?;:„era^'^Pl?'''!^'"«  ^  ^''^ 
will  be  speaking  EnZhTh«i^°*''^P<'P"'«« 
and  in  a  few  vear«  .i  ♦!,  ^  ^"^«"  •»  worldii 
will  be  leavrjd  'Tht  ^fi,°"''''  *'' V*^"  l"" 
of  life  for  the  natives  '  "'"^  "  ^«^«'-  ?>«' 


^Ifi''    I 


mts,  profes- 

government 
•■ties. 

laska  a  gen- 
itory  to  tell, 
'ges.  Every 
manners  of 
ig  to  predict 
population 
is  working, 
entire  Inmp 
igher  plane 


u  s  oeoLoaicAi  suwvev 


9ULUTIN  NO  gifl     p(_  J 


1'  n    ,  J 


Abalone,  70 

Aborigines,  23,  31,  32 

Abortion,  219 

Adz,  70,  177 

Affection,  99 

Al-ak-shak,  17 

Alaska,  17,  18,  19,  20, 

Alaskans,   28,   30 

Aleutian  Islands,  20 

Aleuts,  23,  24,   113 

Amusements,  100,  204 

Ancestor  Worship,  232' 

Ancestry,  173 

AngDon,  143,  195 

Animals,  107,  164,  232 

Appearance,  64 

Archipelago,   18 

Arctander,  J.  w    30 

Area,    18 

Art,  176,  177 

Article,   40 

Asia,  32 

Asiatics,  31 

Atlas  (old  woman),  188 

Auks,  25,  26 

Aunt,  39 

Aurora  Borealis,  163 

Authority,  44,   fli 

Ba'Iou,  M.  M.,  63,  65   6 
217.     225,     227,     232, 

Bancroft,  H.  H.,  32    lie 
„  217,  223,  238,  241  ' 

Banquets,    111 
Basketry,  7«,  86-91 
Basket-weaving,   89 
Bath,  227 
Beaches,  53 
Bead-work,  78 
Bear,   74 
Bear  Totem,  170,  171 


21 


20S 


233 


INDEX 


Beauty,  70,  131 
Beaver,  185-6 
B«rries,^20,  108-9,  169.  172 

Birth,  46,  161-2 

Biting,  60 

Boston,  24 

Boston  Alaskan,  241 
Blanket,  64,  70 
Blarney  Stone,  191 
Bleeding,  226 
Blindness,  230 
Bluejay,   187 
Bracelets,  67,  68 
Brass    Band,    203 
Bridegroom,   209 
Brother,  38 

Bruce,  Minor  W..  19   2R    lai 

238,  241  '      '      '  '"'• 

Burial,  118,  136,  137,  147.  etc. 

Camps,  69 
Canada,  17 
Canneries,  2,  72 
Canoe,  28,  79 
Canoe-building  78,  79 
Canoe-racing,  81 
Carving,  75 

^  n1;  m^*' "''  "*'  '"•  "»■ 

Celery',   no 

Changes,  82,  264 

Chant,   143,  160,  204 

Character,  17,  21 

Charms,  183 

Chastity,  214,  216 

Chich'g,  173 

Chief,  66,  61,  115,  139,  201,  236 

Children,  44,  46,  60,  200 

m*'        "'   ""'  '*''   "**' 
Chilkats,  26,  26,  82,  116 


I,  216, 
240, 

216, 


366 


,.?  I 


256 


INDEX 


Chineu,  28,  73 

Chinook,  36,  43 

ChriBtianity,  243 

Chuk-a-nady,  25 

Chukchi,  31,  32 

Church,     63,     238,     239,    240. 
241 

Citizenship,  42 

Civilization,   244 

Claims,  86,  149 

Clans,  25,   170,  178,  179 

Clasacs,  61 

Climate,  19,  229 

Clothes,  64 

Coastline,  18 

Community,  63 

Compensation,  200 

Conflicts,   115 

Congress,  247 

Consumption,  221-3 

Contngion,  223 

Contempt,  96 

Cooking,  48,  111 

Cordage,  73 

Corruptions,  36 

Cosmology,  236-7 

Cottages,  67 

Crabapples,   109 

Crafty,  96 

Creation,  184 

Creator,  184 

Cremation,  119,  160,  161,  1S3 

Crests,  26,  169,   176,   179 

Crime,  46,  193,  217,  218 

Crow,  26,  69,  77,  166,  170,  171. 

172,  182-3,  235 
Cunning,  97 
Customs,  33,  112 

Dall,  Wm.  n.,  28,  46,  170,  172 
Dance-halls,  206 
Dancing,  143-4 
Damages,  173,  195 
Darwinians,  172 
Da-se-ton,   186 
Davis,  Samuel,  181 
Dead-houses,    119,    137 
Death,    136,    137 
Debauchery,  216,  216 
Deer,  40 


Deformities,  230 

Degeneracy,  34 

Deity,   231,   233,   236 

De-ke-onkowa,  236 

Delicacies,  107 

Delivery,  46 

Demonologists,  231 

Designs,  121,  176 

Dovilflsh,    123,    188 

Diseases,  154,  221,  eta 

Disgrew,  126,  213 

Divisions,  25,  170-1 

Dogs,  49,   161,  209 

Dog-salmon,  103 

Domestic  Life,  47 

Dose,  229 

Douglas,  25,   198 

Dowry,  127,  129,  201 

Doxology,  39 

Dreams,  166 

Dress,  64 

Drowning,  105,  199 

Drum,   142,  144,  160,  161,  203 

Ducks,  108 

Duk-dainton,  25 

Duk-la-wady,  26 

Duncan,  Wm.,  42,  172,  239 

Dyes,  88,  89,  121 

Eagle,  122,  165,  170,  178,  191 
Earrings,  66,  67,  144 
Earthquake,  186 
Edgecumbe,    101 
Education,  245 
Embalming,    151 
Emblems,  36,   169 
Emmons,  G.  T.,  86 
Endurance,  99 

English,  36,  37,  38,  40,  41.  240. 
254  •      •      .        , 

Enlightenment,  22 
Enterprise,    82,   83 
Eskimo,  17,  23,  24 
Ethics,  212,  214 
Evil  Spirits,  162,  232 

Pace-painting,   69 
False  Teeth,  210-11 
Families,  23,  26 
Family,  45,  47 


Fasting,  140,  156,  228 
father,  37,  44 

£??'''«».«),  135,150,204, 
Fetich,   168,  233 
Feuds,    114,   139 
Fibre,  73 
Ficlcle,  08 

S^r  a6"°°''-""-~'  2°° 

Fish,  21,  103 

Fisheries,  22 

Fishing,  72 

Fish-traps,  73 

Jlags,  141,  20a 

Flood,  188 

Flour,    111 

Flowers,  20 

Fluency,  101 

Folk-lore,    181 
Fowl,  108 
Freaks,  230 
Frobese,  J.  E.,  171 
^B,  170,  171,  180 
Fruits,  109 
Furs,  74 

Gambling,  122 

Gambling  sticks,  122,  I23 

Games,  205-8 

Genealogy,  175 

Gender,   40 

Generic,  40 

Generosity,  199 

Ghost,   165,  232 

Giant,  184 

Giving,   199-200,  247 

Wacier,  237 

Golovin,  238 

Goosh-ta-kah,  165,  232,  234 

Gossiping,  50,  68 

Government.   103,  229,  245 

Grampus,  165,  179,  180 

t^ratitude,  102 

Greek  Church,  238 

J^reely,  Major  A.  W.,  246 

Guests,  141,  174    1^9 

Gum,  no 

Ha^,  206 
Haines,  26 


INDEX 


U7 


235 


Half-breeds,  45,   132 

Halibut,   22,   72,   104 

nancga,  25 

Harbours,  18 
Hat,  180,  109 
Headgear,  85 
Heirlooms,  142,  144.  147 
Herring,  22,  104,  106 
«|gBinson,   Ella,  24 
Hlgh^caste,  68,  69,  68.  136,  178, 

Hobgoblin,  166 
Hoonahs,  74 
Hootz,  173 
Hootz-hit,  178 
Hootz-na-oo,  200 
Hootj-na-oos,  26,   145 
Homesickness,  252 
Hospital,  229 

Hofll"'^'  *''  "* 

Hounding,  95 

Houses,  54,  66 

House  Totems,  189 

Humour,  207 

Humpbacks,  224 

Hunting,  74 

Husband,  44 

Button,  P.  c,  222,  226 

Hydaburg,  83 

Hydahs,  24,  74,  83,   112,   iso 

Iceberg,  187 

Idiocy,  224 

Idolatry,   170 

Idols,    169,    170 

Ikt,  81,   154,  etc.,  233 

Immorality,  213 

Immortality,  234 
Implements,  118 
Independence,  92 
Indians,  23,  28,  29 
Indian  Training,  243-4 
Industries,  22,  72 
Infanticide,  121 
Insanity,  224 
Islanders,  33 
Islands,  18 
Insults,  94 
Italy,  17 


■u 


«S8 


INDEX 


Jacloon,   Sheldon,   17,   10,  23, 

181,  210 
Japanese.    20,   28,   29,   30,   31, 

32,  34 
Jealousy,   96,   US,    144 
Jewellery,  67 
Johnson,  Johnny,  242 
Juneau,  26,  26 

Kaaks,  25 

Kadashan,  M.  R.,  242 

Ka-ga-ne-e-thloot,  104 

Kak-sudy,  26 

Kamchatka,  31,  34 

Kassan,  81 

Katlian,  113 

Kect,   69,   173,   179,  180 

Keet-hit,  178 

Killisnoo,  26,  186,  227 

Kin-da-gocsh,  166,  160 

Klawock,  26 

Kle-na-dy,  26 

Klinquan,   177 

Klondike,  76,  82 

Kluckwan,    67,    83,    88,    117, 

190,  191 
Kluk-na-hudy,  26 
Kok-won-ton,   25,    179-80 
Koreans,  32 
Kot,  88 
Ko-te-a,  169 

Lahret,  68,  237 

Land-otter,    165 

Language,  24,  26,  35,  etc. 

Laws,  202 

Legends,    140,    181,    etc.,    189 

Levirate  marriage,  129 

Liabilities,  198 

Life    for   life,    193 

Lineage,  174 

Liquor,  215,  etc. 

Llwyd,  J.  P.  D.,  30 

Loans,  199 

Love-potions,   164,  167 

Low-caste,  59,  60,  173 

Man's  Totem,  171 
Manumission,  118 


Marriage,   124,   173,  209,  212, 

213,  214 
Masks,   137,    100 
Massacre,  96,   113 
McFarland,  A.  R.,  248 
Measles,  223 
Measures,  108 

Medicine-men  (see  Shaman) 
Medicines,   167,  226 
Metlakhatia,  230 
Mexico,    17 
Mines,  22 
Mining,  73-4 
Missionaries,  41,  148,  217,  240, 

241 
Missions,  239,   245 
Mitkeen,  98 
Moccasins,  76 
Modesty,   146 
Mongolian,    28,    30,    31 
Morality,   212 
Mortality,  222 
Mortuary  Poles,  152,  177 
Mosquito,  184-5 
Mother-of -baskets,  88,  116 
Mountains,  18 
Mourners,  147,  148 
Mummies,  151 
Murder,  193,  218 
Museum,    178-180 
Music,   203 
Myths,  181 

Nagon,  123 
Names,   36,   37,   60 
Nature  Worship,  233 
Naukth,  88 
Navigation,   18 
Negro.  33,  210 
Nephew,  38,  45,  129 
Niece,  45 
Nicknames,  36 
Norway,  17 
Nouns,    38 
Nursing,  226,  228 
Nush-ke-ton,  25 

Obligations,    138,    219 
Observant,   100 
Oils,  22,  104 


INDEX 


Oollkan,    104,    lOS,    106.    107 
188  '         ' 

Omena,  102-3 
On-kow-wa,  61 
Ophthalmia,  224 
Ordeab,  167 

Origin,  27-34,  172,  184,  185 
Original  Beliefs,  232 
Original  Diseases,  224 
Origin  of  Caste,  69 
Origin  of  Totemism,  172 
Ornamentation,   66 
Orphan,  44 

Ficlfing,  75 
Pappoose,  46 

Paraphernalia,    61,    142,    156 
173  ' 

Parental  LaxnesB,  47 
Peritonitis,  227 
Petersburg,  25 
Phillips,  Fanny,  243 
Philter,  164 
Phonograph,  207,  210 
Phratries,    60,    141,    170,    17', 

Politic,  87 
Polyandry,  47 
Polygamy,  120 
Population,  23 

Potlatches,  56,  62,  93,  135.  140 
141,   142,   143  ' 

Pottery,  78 
Pott's  Disease,  224 
Preacher,  140 
Presbyterian  Church,  247 
Presbyterian  Mission,  57 
Presbyterians,  239-47,  250 
Prisoners  of  War,   113 
Privacy,   68 
Profanity,  220 
Progress,  251 
Pronouns,   40 
Property,    93,    96,    132,    137-8 

199,  202 
Prophet,  159 

Protestant  Church,  239-47 
Protestants,   239 
Public  Utilities,  56,  57 
Puniahment,  47,   156,  202 


269 


Quarrels,   60,   68,   130 
Quass,  216 

Racing,  81 

Rank,  60,  173 

Raven,    165,    188,   204,   236 

Relatives,    44 

■Religion,  231 

Heplogle,  Chaa.,  29 

Resources,  21 

Responsibility,  196 

RpVoTina     on 


Rings,  66 
"Rubbers,"  228 
Rum,  217 

Russians,    31,    113,    114.    216 
Zi:3,  237,  238  ■ 

Sacrifice  of  Slaves,  117,  118 

Sailors,  223 

Salmon,    103,    104 

Samhat  (chief),  81 

San  Francisco,  19 

Sanitation,  67,  226 

Saw-milla,  22 

School,  63,  246-61 

Sculpin,   182 

Seal,  74,   104,  107 

Sea-otter,   74 

Seaweed    as    Food,    110 

Self-supporting,  72 

Sensitiveness,  93 

Sensuality,  216 

Sentence,  41 

Servants,  51 

Settlements,   193-4 

Seward,  Wm.  H.,  20 

Sewerage,  225 

Sewing,  50,  76 

Shacks,   64 

Sha-he-he,  162 

Shaman,  61,  155,  157,  159,  233 

Shamanism,   164-101,   232,   235 

Shame,  95,  96,  118,  213 

Shark,  153 

Sliellfish,  108 

Singing,  204 

Sister,  38,  189 

^'24!'  ^'''  ^*'  ^^'  ^'  "•  ^*'' 


£j,G*"  "" 


W 


■I:.,  '■rs 


860 


INDEX 


Sitkana,  24,  28,  74,  96 
^'248     ^''"■''"*    '**«>'>    241, 
Skagway,  26 
8koog-wa,   ig2 

Slavery,  119  ' 

Smallpox,  223 
Smoking,  220 
Sociability,  99 
Social  Life,  g7.g 
Socials,  100,  208 
Society,  S9 
Soldiers,   194,  216 
Songs,  152,  180,  203,  204 
Spawn,  106 
Speech,  38,  100-1 

Sp'»t'  11».  149,  164,  166,  169, 
162,  232,  238  ' 

Spirit-land,  119,  149,  235 
Spiritualism,  232 
Sportr,   203-6 
Springs,   227 

Standard  of  Morality,  132,  212 
Status,  60  .,        ,    •« 

Steamboat,  210 

Stikeens,  26,  29 

Stolid,   98 

Strangulation,  46 

Sub-totems,  170-1 

Suicide,  195,  218 

Summer,  50 

Sujerstiticns,  126, 154,  162,240 
bujireme  Being,  231,  236 
SUiveillance,  216 
Suspicious,  83,  96 
Swineford,   A.   P.,   20.   29    72 
216,  240,  249  '       ' 

Syphilis,  223 


Thunder  Bird,   186 

Tinneh,  23,  24 

Tobacco,  220 

Tolth,  87 

Tongasa,  26 

Too-da-hook,  87 

Tools,  66 

Toothache,   221 

Torture,   166 

Totem,  66,  76,  141,  233 

rotemism,  168-180 

^"l^^j  Po'l'.    133,    138,    188, 

Toughening  Process,  120 
Tourist,  24,  28,  86,  178 
Town-sites,   18,   53 
Tradition,  60,  235 
Traffic,  82 
Traits,  33,  92 

Transmigration  of  Etoul,  234 
Trapping,  74  ' 

Travel,  23,  28 
Treacheiy,  loi,  113 
Treadwell,  74 

Tschak,  25,  77 
Tsimpshean,  24,  32,  42 
Tuberculosis,  222 
Twins,  121,  162-3 
Tzow   (hat),  180 

Ulcers,  227 
Uncles,  46 


Taciturn,  69 
Takoos,  26 
Taku  River,  117 
Taste,  66 

Tattooiiig,  69,  117,  121 
Teachers,   41,  217 
Temperature,  20 
Theft,  217-18 

Thlingets,   23,  26,  26,  33.  36 
etc.,  68,  69,  72  ' 


Vanity,  93,   120 
Vegetables,    109-10 
•Vegetation,  20 
Venereal  Diseases,  223 
Venison,  22 
Verbs,  40 
Vices,  220 
Villages,  18,  63,  66 
Virtue,  219 
Vocabulary,  39 
Volcanoes,   19 

War,  112 
War-canoes,  81 
Washing,  49-60 


WMhington,  D.  C,  20 

W.ter  Sy,t<,m,  87 ' 

Wealth,  81 
Weight.,  87,  108 
Whale-killer,  69 
Whale.    188,   189,   190 
Whale  Tribe,   188 
Whooping-cough,  223 

Wig,  210 

fc  8^9  '••*'"•'"'» 
Witch,  96,  166,  166,  187,  168 


INDEX 


261 


Womaji',  Totem,   171 

Word-building,  36 
Worm,  190 

Worm-diab,  118 
Wrangell,  lu 

Yak,  26,  78 
Yakutat,  24,  26    III 
Yalkth,  25,  69  ' 
Yalkth-hit,  178 
Yana-ate,  llo 


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